Umbrum ad Infinitum

Chapters

Waking only to nightmares...
Saving Sombra
"I Promise You're Safe..."
Discord, The Therapist?
A Nightmare Incarnate
Breaking Through To You
Crystallized
Umbrum Ad Infinitum
"We're Bringing You Home..."
Repercussions
Inheritor
Return of the King?
Immunity
Lingering Doubts
Strange Therapy
Confrontation
Caretaker
Negotiations
Recovery
Coronation [Finale]

Waking only to nightmares...

Scorpan had always mourned the loss of his beloved brother. He'd only been young when his older brother Tirek had started messing with magic.

He'd idolized Tirek, and longed to be as brave and tough as he. But their parents had disapproved of Tirek's attitude, as he was forever defying their wishes and associating with an elder named Sendak. Thanks to that same elder, Tirek had become obsessed with Equestrian magic. It'd all started when Sendak had brought back a captured unicorn, and Tirek had gotten his first taste of power. It never left...

While not technically DEAD, Tirek was once more imprisoned in Tartarus, the worst prison Equestria had to offer. Scorpan had heard of his brothers escape, and had hoped he'd come home, or to his senses at least.

Sadly it wasn't to be, as Tirek was caught by that new Princess, defeated once more, then thrown back into Tartarus' hold. How dare that bratty Alicorn do this to his family? Those Princesses would PAY.

After having his hopes of a happy family dashed once more, Scorpan began delving into some way, ANY way to redeem his brother. When that failed, he became obsessed with getting enough power to break his brother out. One way or another he'd have his family back. He'd be happy...

One thing he gave blessings for was his species longevity. They held much longer age spans than those troublesome Equestrian ponies. Thus, as they aged and faded, Scorpan would grow little by little, eventually reaching his adult years. But he didnt want to wait, and sought ways to speed things up. At least his brother would not die of old age in that hellish prison.

He kept his obsession with restoring his brother a secret from his family during this time, playing the part of a good son. His mother hadn't been the same since Tireks loss, and his father threw himself into his work, and tended not to notice his sons coming and going. Scorpan spent every moment he had spare poring over ancient tomes dredged up from all around the world. Somewhere there existed a solution, he was certain.

Two years passed since his brothers recapture...

One centaur Wiseman he cornered and threatened reluctantly admitted if he had DARK magic he may have a shot at it. It was an attempt at diverting Scorpan, the guy was clearly becoming unhinged, but there WAS a modicum of truth to it. Dark magic was unstable and notoriously hard to master, yet it was undeniably powerful.

Scorpan yelled at him until the terrified elder told him there was a pony that had been said to be a master of dark magic. The former King of the North, Sombra.

“Sombra? Isn't he dead?" Scorpan narrowed his bloodshot eyes.

"W-well yes...but there's a rumour part of his horn survived the explosion from the crystal heart. I-if you find it, you might be able to resurrect him, b-but its a risky operation-"

“Then you'd better tell me what I need, hadn't you?" Scorpan twitched. Exposing himself to numerous corrupt magic sources was slowly eating away at his sanity. He was barely sleeping, his thoughts consumed by getting his once loving family back.

Not long before this encounter, his parents had disowned him, after his studies nearly killed one of the staff. The reality of what their son had become at last coming to light. They realised he was becoming unhinged, and gave him an ultimatum, stop this madness or be excised from the family. Scorpan had left and never gone back. He was doing this for himself now, his brother was all he needed. They'd have each other...

Under threat of being tortured, the elder gave what little information he knew to Scorpan, but warned him controlling a beast like Sombra would be difficult. After all, it'd taken numerous attempts to destroy him THIS many times.

“T-there's a legend about him. I found an ancient text saying he's not a normal pony. A surviving document of the King's mentioned one word: “Umbrum”-”

“And what...” Scorpan tightened his grip around the elders neck “is an Umbrum?”

“Please...I’ll give you what little I have, j-just let me go..” the older centaur was afraid of Scorpan. There was something deeply wrong with this creature, but he wasn’t brave or strong enough to oppose him.

Gradually, after much threatening and studying, Scorpan found a little-known prophecy regarding the Umbrum. It came from a copy made of an ancient document. It speculated that one would rise as the ruler of the Umbrum race, and this one would bear the ultimate ability of the species.

But all sources seemed to indicate the Umbrum had been missing for a long long time, the reason behind their disappearance unknown. No sightings, none ever found. A note scrawled at the bottom of the copy read: “War with crystal ponies? Possible, but far-fetched. Perhaps they ran into something that drove them out?”

That meant, if Sombra WAS indeed the last one, the duty of the prophecy would fall to him by that logic. Day after day of researching left Scorpan in no doubt that Sombra was the last of his kind. Had the Umbrum existed, somebody would have documented something. Not even those meddling Equestrians knew anything about the missing species. They'd become an urban legend now…

Scorpan had his goal. He didn’t care what he had to do to that pony, he'd have his magic one way or another. First task was to siphon off enough of the dangerous magic to fill several amulets. These would be needed to make HIM the stronger foe. After all, once Sombra served his purpose, Scorpan had no intentions of leaving him alive.

Dark magic would fuel this plan, and when it was done, he'd allow Sombra's magic to rebuild, then unleash him on the Princesses in the prophecy’s “ultimate form”. What that was, he didnt know, but it didnt matter, it would be his to control.

But first, he needed the pony subservient to him.

What he understood of Sombra left him in no doubts the former King would not bow to another. In a way, Scorpan had to begrudgingly respect him. He was a monster too.

So he came up with a simple plan: if he could render Sombra's will broken and useless, the pony would be incapable of fighting back. He would become an empty shell, a magical battery. To break his mind, Scorpan theorized, he would start by breaking his body. Pain could be a powerful mind killer, a tool he could use to instil fear and teach Sombra a swift lesson; he didn’t mess with Scorpan.

He began to laugh at the mental image of crippling the pony's mind so much he'd willingly BOW to Scorpan.

The plan all laid out, Scorpan blazed a trail across the lands, until he came to the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. After days of searching he at last found a shattered, dulled artefact almost lost down a crevasse. Sombra's horn. Dormant and powerless. For now. Even as he held it in his hands, he seen it glow just faintly.

He stole away from the Empire, grinning.

Days passed, as he used every available amulet and power source he'd collected to build up his supply of power for the ritual. Working alone was tough, but he knew his own kind would not help him. Unless sufficiently fearful, there was a chance thay would run to his former parents for protection, unravelling all his plans. The last action said parents had taken, was to issue an alert stating he was dangerous, and not to approach him. He was on his own. But he was able to disguise himself and bribe some citizens to bring him what he sought, yet none were let into his inner sanctum.

He'd travelled far and set up shop in an old mountain range. There was a complex network of caves there that served him perfectly. Few came out here, the land was barren for the most part, only a few species of birds migrated here, and they were hardly a threat. It was the last place anyone would think to live...

Now, after so long, the ritual was ready to begin. He set the amulets he'd filled with power, drained by any means necessary from his own people and some unicorns, in a circle according to the books instructions. On the floor, ancient arcane letters formed the base of the ritual to return Sombra's mind and body together.

The power was flowing into the broken horn now, taking on a dark purple hue. It crackled and sparked, and there was a blinding flash of green light. The ground shook, and he fought to keep his balance.

As it faded he heard hoof steps, and a low growl. Opening his eyes quickly, he seen a shape in the light. As it dulled, he grinned. Stood in front of him, sluggishly taking in his surroundings was the former King. An impressive looking pony, he was powerfully built, with an ebony black flowing mane, crimson eyes and smoky grey fur. He wore silver armour and a crown, giving him a faintly military air.

But he was rapidly regaining his senses, and Scorpan couldn’t have him escape-

"Who are YOU?" The pony had noticed him now and was striding towards him, fury in his eyes.

"Who dares- urk!" for an invisible hand had snapped around his throat, hoisting him off the ground. Scorpan strode over until he was eye to eye with the thrashing stallion. His own hand replaced the magical spell holding Sombra off the floor by his neck.

"I, am your MASTER now, little pony. You will give me the secrets to your magic!"

"Unhand me you fool!" Sombra surprised Scorpan by managing to sink his sharp fangs into the others hand. Scorpan threw him back into the wall with enough force to stun him. His crown clattered to the ground, the silver gleaming in the flickering light of the torches.

As Sombra fought to get up, the nerves in his lower back numbed from impact, Scorpan advanced on him. He seen the ponys ears fold back, heard a growl building in his throat. Good, he'd realised he was trapped, nowhere to run now...

"I have learnt many a way to inflict pain, little pony. Unless you want to be introduced to them, I suggest you shut up and do as your told-!"

With a furious roar Sombra stumbled up. Scorpan had to give him credit for being a stubborn little fool, but he had no time for games. He needed this pony broken, and fast. All his secrets laid bare. The pony lunged for him and he grinned.

He snapped his fingers, and chains slammed around Sombra's legs, neck and muzzle. This cut his momentum to a dead stop, and the unicorn was dragged painfully down to the cold stone floor.

"Not one word from you-" Scorpan was delirious, grinning manically "I want that magic and I want it NOW. With or without your consent!"

Sombra had been awake less than a few minutes, and his pride refused to allow him to accept he'd been outmatched. This was deliberate, this mad THING wanted him specifically. But beneath his ego and his growing unease, he knew he couldn't let this cretin have control of his magic.

"I found out a lot about you..." Scorpan cackled "you're an Umbrum, a shadow pony, correct?"

Sombra glared. Yet inside he went cold. That word, how could someone other than HIM know it? It was from his memory...

"I'll take that as a yes, after all, I know I’m right. I know a lot about them now, about what they can do, and what they ARE. Your power is unique, and you're the only one left! The duty has fallen to you, hm?"

He seen a glimpse of fear in Sombra's eyes, and smirked, knowing he'd triggered his memory. Strange, he didnt seem as certain as Scorpan had expected, could he have lost the memory during his ressurection? No matter, he didnt care.

"You don’t even fully know what you're capable of, do you-? Well, no matter, I will show you in time. For now, i just need your magic to power my plans. You can either give it freely, or i can drag it from you."

Sombra glared at him, snarling softly.

"That a no? Too bad..." Scorpan advanced on the stallion "on to plan B..."

Scorpan at last took a step back, eyeing the beaten and bruised pony sprawled limply across the floor. Blood trickled from cuts in the ponys once immaculate coat. He flexed his claws, crimson smeared across them.

--Not as easy as I'd have hoped. He's taken a beating, yet he refuses to beg. Almost impressive...--

Sombra tried to get up, but Scorpan slammed a hoof down on Sombra's right hind leg. The stallion was driven to the floor again. Scorpan laughed as Sombra tried to pull free, and an idea occured to him...

More pressure was applied until there was a sickening snap of bone fracturing, and Sombra screamed in pain. Scorpan had removed the chains from his muzzle, giving him the opportunity to speak the words the crazed being longed to hear. That he would give up his magic voluntarily.

He stepped back, watching as Sombra slumped fully to the cold stone floor. The pony shivered and retched, panicked convulsions hitting him hard...

Scorpan loomed over him now, smirking "Well well, impressive. Your ego comes before your life. I have other things to do, so for tonight you'll be sleeping here. Tomorrow, I’ll ask you again."

With those parting words he vanished into the shadows, leaving Sombra to eventually black out, chained and captive.

Day after day, Scorpan sought out ways to tap Sombra's power. His abilities weren't on the same par as his brother, he couldn't master magical artefacts so easily. But what he could do, he made use of.

At last he hit on a way to drain large amounts of Sombra's magic all at once. The process was painful and eventually Sombra's screams of pain tailed off, his voice fading to barely a whisper. Even with this sadistic extraction of his magic, Sombra he swore up and down he wouldn't give Scorpan what he wanted.

"Seems a shame, after all, don't you WANT to see those Princesses made to suffer?" Scorpan hissed.

"You...don’t know...what you’re messing with..." Sombra laughed "twice I FAILED to take what was mine, what makes you think you can succeed where I and your insane brother failed?"

Scorpan punched him hard across the jaw, slamming him to the ground again.

"Watch your mouth you filthy cur!" he spat "I wont make the mistakes your or my brother did..."

Once more Sombra was left alone in the dank, dark cave. Only a wall mounted torch lit the room. Scorpan had moved him to a different room, but he was still trapped. Chained like a dog, magical wards branded him, ones that burned and scarred if he tried to push past the limits of his chains.

He had no idea how much time had passed. There was no sense of time passing, no windows to see the sun rise and fall. But he knew he would fade soon, he had no strength left.

That lunatic wanted to destroy the Princesses? More fool him.

Something felt different in him. Night after night Sombra seen that blue light, felt its love and warmth sear him from history. He woke up shivering, but also with a longing for that warmth. It would be bliss compared to this pain. The leg that'd been broken the first day hurt constantly, with no bandage to support it. Each new round of his captors interrogations, the sadistic Gargoyle forced the bone, preventing it from healing.

--Pathetic...why doesn’t he just kill me..?-- Sombra pondered. But he knew deep down that his status as an Umbrum pony made him valuable. This mad Gargoyle knew too much about his ponies, including THAT…

But his mind was starting to fray, each day he felt less of an entity, like he was losing his mind...

A faint chirruping broke his musings, and he raised his head. A bird? He had to be in one of the rooms near the outer wall of the place.

A small, green bird fluttered out of a crevasse in the wall, its chirping echoing off the vaulted walls of Sombra's prison.

At last it spotted Sombra and came down to land on the cold stone floor a few feet away. A stale hunk of bread rested by Sombra's right hoof. He batted at it, dislodging a small chunk. He rolled it towards the bird and it hopped forward, pecking eagerly at the bread.

Sombra rested his head back on his hoofs. Even that simple action seemed to drain what little he had...

"I wish you could understand me.." he whispered "oh, the tale I could tell..."

It cocked its head, bright eyes fixed on him.

"The Princesses have a madman headed their way. Celestia's precious little students should know Tirek wasn’t the only mad one in THAT family. That big lug had a brother..." he broke off, coughing painfully.

"I must be losing my mind, I’m talking to a BIRD. But right now I would rather bring him down and face extinction again. Death by Celestia's hooves would be better than helping this fool succeed. Maybe..maybe I’ll get lucky, and if they find him they'll free me from this nightmare..."

He laughed, but it was a broken, miserable sound. "What good does telling you this do me? You can't...talk…" he was growing hoarse again. It hurt to talk. All the screams of agony had left his throat red raw, making him cough up blood occasionally.

The bird chirped, taking the hunk of bread in its beak and actually hopping closer to kindly rub its cheek against the pony's muzzle.

"Ah-!" Sombra flinched at the contact, then managed a weak smile "kindness? Sympathy for a monster....well, thank you..." his voice trailed off, and he coughed painfully, the sound agonising.

"How strange that you should flutter by, a nomad of the clear blue sky..." it was a line from a poem, one he'd learnt as a child.

The bird stepped back, bobbed its head, then took off, finding the crevasse that led back to the outside world.

Alone once more, Sombra closed his eyes, slipping into blissful sleep, away from his pain.

But the bird was more than a passing guest.

It was a highly intelligent species. One that was capable of more than rudimentary intelligence.

Flutter...flutter by... These words reminded it of a kindness shown from another pony. It turned mid air and began to fly in a new direction.

Author's Note

A few points id like to address:
1.) There was no time stated as far as i can find as to when Tirek escaped, save for a vaugue mention on mlp wiki. That and i was sick of everything being from 1000 years ago. So i closed the gap a little. Along with giving the Centaur/Gargoyle race an extensive lifespan.

2.) YES, i've read the Fiendship is magic comics, i have them on my iPad, and spent copius amounts of time flicking between Sombra's and Tirek's to get the elements i needed. I didnt want to follow them to the letter, so some things are different.

3.) ...Thats it really. If there was another point, the banana pones ate it. XD

Saving Sombra

Fluttershy was singing to herself as she set a cake down in front of her precious Angel Bunny. His eyes brightened, and he clapped his paws, before diving into it.

"Oh Angel, you DO love our tea together don’t you?" Fluttershy giggled.

"What about ME?" a mock-wounded voice enquired.

"Of course, Discord!" Fluttershy bestowed the Draconequus with a sweet beaming smile "i have your favourite ready and waiting!" she trotted away and came back with two more cakes for the both of them, on a silver platter.

Discord came over every week for tea. He liked Fluttershy, she was truly kind to him. Very open and gentle, she'd been the first and only one for a long while who'd treated him kindly. Even after he'd mistakenly betrayed her and the others to Tirek, they'd accepted his apology. Eventually. Fluttershy had cried, and he'd vowed he'd never again to betray this pony's trust. She was valuable to him beyond words...

They were interrupted from thier tea party by a bird suddenly sweeping in and settling on the back of a spare chair.

"Oh! hello~" Fluttershy recognised this bird, not long ago she'd helped it with a broken wing!

It hopped about, flapping it wings in some distress. Its manic chirping was like a voice speaking a mile a minute, she needed asisstance.

"Discord-" Fluttershy swept her pale pink mane out of her eyes and peered up at him "remember how you made the animals talk before? For that party? C-could you please-?"

"At your service!" the Draconequus snapped his fingers, and the birds squawks shifted to words.

"-Pretty pony please! I have a very bad warning!"

“Oh my, what is it?" Fluttershy's heart was in her mouth already.

"I was out flying and I found a cave, and inside it was a pony. He was hurt badly. He gave me bread even though it looked like he needed anything he could get!"

"Why was he in a cave?" Discord asked.

"I don't know, but he was all chained up. A prisoner.."

"What did he look like?" Fluttershy asked. The bird raised its wings as if to demosntrate "this big!"

"Big pony. Red eyes. Unusual mane, like smoke-"

Discords jaw dropped, surely not-?

"Grey fur, red cloak, unusual unicorn horn?" Discord finished the sentence incredulously, and the bird nodded.

"That’s-!" Fluttershy went pale.

"King Sombra." Discord frowned, "that’s got to be impossible!"

"He didn’t speak his name." the bird said.

Fluttershy got up, fetched a book and came back, flipping through the pages until she found a familiar picture. She held the book out to the bird.

"Please, if you can, is this him?" she asked.

The bird stared at the artists drawing of King Sombra, and nodded. This picture of a proud, sturdily built stallion with fierce red eyes was undoubtedly the same one from the cave. But the picture had a vitality that the beaten, bloodied pony the bird had met sorely lacked. Something was wrong...

"That’s him alright!" he squawked "only he didn’t look so well. He was bleeding, some of it looked old, like my wing when it was damaged. He wore just that cloak, but it was torn and bloody."

"Dried blood means its been awhile between injuries." Discord explained. The bird nodded.

"He's chained and injured. Somepony or something is keeping him prisoner. But why awaken him again? And how?" Discord honestly couldn’t think of a reason. Sombra wasn’t exactly a prime candidate for reformation. He'd been destroyed for a reason, he was notoriously unstable...

“I don’t know. I-I assumed he was gone.." Fluttershy quailed.

"Fear not Fluttershy, that mad pony wont lay a hoof on you!" Discord promised. But Fluttershy looked concerned.

"It doesn’t sound like he's a problem this time, something else is using HIM. And if they're beating him so badly he can barely move, they must have plans to do something far meaner themselves!" Fluttershy went white "We need to tell the girls!"

Discord sighed, he knew the other ponies, including Twilight, didn’t trust him as much as Fluttershy, but he followed her regardless as she raced towards the big crystal palace that belonged to Princess Twilight!

The bird followed them, for in all the fuss of identifying Sombra, it hadn’t given the yellow pony the words Sombra had spoken.

Once everypony had been gathered, Fluttershy implored the bird to tell its tale once more. Jaws hit the table as it revealed its discovery of Sombra's capture.

"That pony managed to talk a little..." the bird said "if you’ll allow me?"

"Go ahead." Twilight encouraged.

The bird cleared its throat and in perfect mimicry of Sombra's voice, repeated the stallions words verbatim. With every tortured inflection included. The young mares winced at various points, but they didnt interrupt.

"When he said flutter by, it reminded me of you!" the parrot said to Fluttershy as he returned to his normal voice "it sounded bad, he mentioned the Princess of the warm sun."

"You think its legit?" Applejack asked the bird, who nodded sincerely.

"He was in so much pain, he could barely talk by the time he'd told me that much. I don't think he even had the strength to lift his head."

"Well, now what?" Rainbow Dash asked "we gonna go tell the Princess? This IS Tireks brother he mentioned..."

Twilight Sparkle nodded "Yes, but I think.." she gave a sigh "I think we need to find him."

"What?" Rarity blurted "what if it's a trap?!"

"I don’t think so." Discord spoke up "Egoists like Sombra don’t admit defeat so easily. And for him to say he WANTS Celestia to essentially kill him to put him out of whatever misery he’s chained up in..." he sighed, shaking his head "I don't think this is a prank. Sombra's not that type, not from what I can tell."

"He’s got a point," Twilight Sparkle nodded "Sombra was obsessive and egotistical."

"And if somepony's got HIM tied up as a hostage, what’re THEY planning?" Pinkie Pie asked worriedly.

"I don’t know, but he mentioned Tirek's brother," Twilight Sparkle shuddered "it cant be good!"

"Its not even a case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"." Discord stated "if that were the case Sombra would be his right hand pony- so to speak. But Whomever's behind this is keeping him half starved and half dead for a reason. To stop him rebelling."

"Can you show us the way? Please?" Fluttershy asked the parrot, who nodded.

"It's a long way ta go, an' we aint gonna fit down a crevasse!" Applejack pointed out.

"Are you saying I’ve got a big bum?!" Rainbow Dash glowered.

"NO!" Applejack snorted "but we aint exactly skinny neither!"

Twilight had an idea. Once before, she'd turned them all into Breezies, and Breezies were very small. They could easily fly that way.

"OK, good." Rainbow nodded as Twilight explained the plan "but how do we get old crazy-horse out?"

"The same way!" Twilight Sparkle said calmly "I have enough magic to change another, and it’ll be easier then trying to make him walk the whole way, sounds like he’s in bad shape."

She wrote a letter to Celestia and Spike was summoned from where he was knee-deep in comics, catching up on the latest issues, to send it. Celestia wrote back and said to bring Sombra to Canterlot, they'd be able to assess him there, and perhaps contain him.

The plan set, Twilight Sparkle sent Spike ahead to the Princess, and they all set out to rescue an old enemy.

Discord joined them and despite her distrust of him, Twilight admitted the chaos magic might come in handy so long as Discord didn’t get bored and start goofing off.

The group flew over trees and hills, heading towards some very distant mountains. Rainbow couldn’t resist showing off, doing aerial stunts and racing ahead.

But they all slowed down as they approached the mountain. The parrot swooped in close, leading them to the same barely noticeable crevasse it'd gone to explore, thinking it was a shallow gash in the stone, intending to use it as a potential nesting spot when it got a mate.

They flew in and touched down, and Fluttershy took in the pony they’d come to find.

She felt actual tears well up, and Discord, also disguised as a Breezie, patted her with one foreleg.

Sombra's condition had worsened in the time the parrot had been gone. He was semi conscious by the looks of it, breathing unevenly.

They could see where the blood had soaked into the once vibrant red of his fur-tipped cloak. In places, it looked almost adhered to the wounds beneath. His mane was almost motionless, none of its former flow left. His ears were flattened down, shivering subtly. His body was a patchwork of old and new bruises, it looked as bad as the bird had described.

The Breezie group heard footsteps approach and watched as Sombra jolted, a look of fear flashing across his eyes, and he tried to get up. Discord seen a magical ward glow on the stallions coat, near his neck, and the next second Sombra was driven to the ground by an invisible force. His cry of pain was cut off as he began coughing heavily.

"No point in asking for your co-operation I suppose?" Scorpan jeered as he stomped in.

"Go...buck...yourself.." Sombra's voice was a mere whisper, but he spoke the words with conviction.

"Oh spare me your pathetic blathering, you know you can't escape. And we're almost done with phase one. After that, your destiny will finally be fulfilled, my rare Umbrum..."

"Umbrum?" Twilight Sparkle whispered. That was new to her. What did this guy mean?

They hid behind a rocky outcropping on the ground and listened in. Luckily this maniac couldn’t seem to sense them in Breezie shape!

They all clapped their little feet over their mouths as Scorpan began yet another extraction of Sombra's magic.

He grabbed the pony by the throat, and hoisted him up as far as he could. The wards he imposed shone once more and he laughed at Sombra's cries of agony as they bounced off the cave walls. He brought the struggling stallions face close to his own, and sneered;

"Until I have my revenge on the Princesses, you'll have to do. You LOOK like a normal pony. That makes you the perfect way to remind me of what I aim for, the destruction of all ponykind."

Those hidden seen a faint purple aura, which Twilight recognised as dark magic, surround the battered Sombra's body. Spasms of pain ratcheted through the ponys body as Scorpans spell drew the magic out of him and into the amulet, but they couldn't see what kind. Once he was done he let Sombra fall to the floor with a thump. He pressed a hoof over Sombra's right hind leg, laughing as Sombra tried to pull away. With a grunt, he pushed down hard enough to-

Poor Rarity, in her tiny Breezie form, felt her tiny Breezie stomach lurch, as they heard a sickening crack. Sombra couldn’t even scream, the pain was so all-encompassing it literally rendered him mute. Scorpan knealt down and lifted the ponys chin with one hand, forcing him to look at him.

"Even if you could get up, I cant have you running away. Call it a precaution. Also I WILL be needing you again soon...”

He spotted something on Sombra's face and laughed again, letting him go and standing up “oh, you thought I was going to let you die? Oh, how naive. I’m not through with you YET. But not to worry, it’ll begin soon! I just have a few more things to get ready. Stay there and suffer, wont you?"

Then he left. His laughter could be heard as he stamped away down the hall.

Fluttershy waited a split second, then began crying over what she'd seen. Discord and the others comforted her, assuring her they’d stop the Centaurs plans.

Pinkie Pie was rubbing Rarity’s back in a sympathetic manner.

“By Celestia..” Twilight Sparkle croaked “that was awful..”

An equally queasy Dash and AJ nodded.

Fluttershy brushed her tears away, and in turn seen faint shimmers of pained tears reflected on Sombra's face, the liquid soaking into his fur. He seemed afraid to move, even though he had to be hurting. She could see his chest rising and falling rapidly, he was hyperventillating. He was scared...

Discord studied Sombra, stomach churning. How had Sombra survived if this was what he endured day after day?

The parrot flew over, and Sombra's eyes brightened a little. He looked so desperately hopeful, as if even a birds company brought him some small relief.

"You’re here...?" he asked, and his voice trembled audibly. He coughed, the action making his body shudder "t-this isn’t a safe place for food...that thing...he'd probably eat you.."

He wondered absently where that stale bread was? He tried to get up, but the fresh injuries screamed in protest and he cried out raggedly, crashing to the floor once more. He angled his head just enough to look round at the leg Scorpan had been pressing on. It was mottled with deep bruises, and was bent at a wrong angle. He tried to shift it under him, but the effort brought tears to his eyes and he gave up, letting his body go slack. He closed his eyes, fresh tears falling silently.

The parrot made a concerned squawking noise, and patted Sombra's cheek with one wing, dampening his feathers. The pony's crimson eyes caught the light of the torch as he struggled to open them again, and the small group of Breezies seen he looked so tired...

"Please, let's do something.." Fluttershy hiccuped. The others all looked shell shocked. What they’d witnessed had been torture. Sombra looked like he'd been brutally beaten, and was in no fit state to fight them.

Twilight focused her magic, and with a POOF, six ponies and one Draconequus suddenly filled the cave.

Sombra stared, freezing up fearfully as he caught the flash of magic.

"Who are you?” he croaked, nausea rearing its head as flashbacks of the last how ever many days bombarded him at once. They were here to hurt and take what little he had left...

When the group began to approach, they seen Sombra panic, and somehow find the strength to stand. But he was limping badly, flinching when the leg Scorpan had broken so much as brushed the floor, so he didn't walk so much as lurch away from them. He was making a faint, desperate sound in the back of his throat that struck Discord as sounding feral, panicked. But once the chains went taught, the brand at Sombra's neck flared brightly, and he was forced to the floor in agony.

"Stop!" Twilight Sparkle cried out "you’ll hurt yourself even more!"

She moved forward, raising a hoof, and Fluttershy cried “Twilight, stop!”

Twilight Sparkle realised what she meant and a split second later she picked up on the faint snarl issuing from Sombra. She wondered if he'd try biting anypony that got too close? The firelight caught crimson eyes full of anger and pain, lips curled back to show sharp fangs. He was like a wild animal...

--The way he's feeling right now, it wouldn’t be surprising. We're a threat to HIM in his mind. But how are we supposed to help him, if he wont let us near?-- she pancied, this wasnt a situation she'd ever studied for. How exactly did you persuade a former foe you were there to save them?

Sombra thought he recognised them, but it could just as easily be another hallucination.

"Stay back!" he rasped. But even his voice sounded pained. They were so close, they could easily hurt him. His heart ached and he blurted out "If you’re not going to kill me at least, then get away!!" he was ashamed to hear the plea in his own voice, but he was desperate...

"What?" Twilight Sparkle was floored by the bluntness of his words, her mouth falling open "kill you?"

But she seen the reality in Sombra's eyes. He was hoping they were there to end the pain he was in. Had he lost all hope?

She tried to approach, and as she'd guessed, he snapped at her, the sharp fangs flashing in the firelight. The growl increased in pitch, all but daring her to try once more. Anticipating this, she was ready to dart back. But she realised he was as afraid of her as she was of him.

The others watched Twilight's attempts to approach Sombra. Even beaten and unable to move very far, they still had to be careful around him. A wounded animal could be the most dangerous...

“This is crazy...” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I'm going to keep lookout!”

Applejack nodded, keeping an eye on her and an eye on Sombra. Rainbow trotted over to the door where she stood, ears primed for the slightest alert.

"Has this been happening every day?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Sombra kept his gaze fixed on her, flinching at every slight movement he seen from the others.

At last he managed to nod. Part of him was willing to trust these weren't his jailers cohorts...

“I’m sorry..” Twilight Sparkle said softly. He looked even more wary at this, tensing to snap again should she step closer.

“Get away...” he forced himself to talk, even though it hurt to. He sat hunched up, shielding himself as best he could. Fear and confusion mixed with exhaustion as he regarded them.

"We're not leaving without-" Applejack began, but Sombra shook his head.

"Just get out of here-," but he broke into more painful coughing, and gave up, merely shaking his head...

He seemed to comprehend he had no way to run, and couldn’t prevent them from attacking if they targeted him at once.

For their journey, Twilight Sparkle had packed their saddlebags with food and water. These bags had returned to full size now they were in pony form. She uncorked a bottle of water, freshly filled from Ponyville spring. The movement startled Sombra, and he shuffled back automatically, until the wards reappeared and he quickly stopped trying to escape. When the pain faded and he opened his eyes, he seen the bottle was a short way in front of him now, and Twilight Sparkle was stepping back.

"It's clean, I promise!" she said.

Fluttershy seen how he looked uneasily at it. Undoubtedly he believed this was a trick. The state he was in, it didn’t seem surprising.

“U-um...Twilight..” she asked “m-may I try…?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, stepped back.

“Careful..” Discord muttered protectively. She smiled at his concern.

She walked over to Sombra, picking up the water bottle as she did. She sat not far from him, the bottle held in her hooves. But she didn’t speak, just waited.

As she had seen in her animals, Sombra's first response was to try and scare her. To intimidate and chase off a potential opponent. Drawing himself up to his full, imposing height, sharp fangs bared. That tortured snarl of warning and distrust rumbing in his chest. But she'd heard that wounded sound from a dozen different big animals, including a scared bear.

So she just waited, approaching a little at a time, wings open to show she had nothing hidden under them, holding the water jug the whole time. All of this without a word.

Those watching seen the imprisoned Sombra's expression shift from scared, to uneasy, but there was a smidgen of curiosity in there too. It clearly took an immense effort to remain in one spot even as his body shook, desperate to retreat.

Fluttershy was close enough now she could’ve reached out and touched his muzzle. She set the water bottle down, nudging it closer to him.

“You look like you need this...it wont hurt you...”

Sombra looked at the bottle, it looked so tempting, but what if-

Deciding he was past caring, he would be happy whether it contained life OR death, he cautiously sat and used his hooves to pick it up.

Seeing him empty it, Twilight Sparkle and the others sighed in relief. Good, he wasn’t so completely scarred that he wouldn’t accept help. He coughed and spluttered a little, this much liquid at once a bit of a surprise. The jug clattered to the ground, forgotten...

Fluttershy seen how he was actively trying not to lean on the broken leg, and she was reminded of the Manticore who'd softened up after she'd removed a thorn from his paw. Beyond where Rainbow stood she seen a drape, decorated with the livery of Scorpan's family. She ran over, and to everypony else's bewilderment, tore it down in one swoop.

“Go Fluttershy….vandalism!” Rainbow Dash snickered very softly.

“I-its not like that..” Fluttershy whispered as she trotted back over to the girls, Pinkie Pie specifically.

“Pinkie Pie, y-you know those “interestingly shaped branches” you insisted on bringing with you. M-may I have them?”

Before they'd left, Pinkie Pie had spotted two oddly patterned branches from a tree in front of Twilight's castle. To the confusion of the other 5, she'd stashed them in her impossibly dimensioned mane. She pulled them free now, giving them to Fluttershy.

“My Pinkie sense said they’d be important!” she boasted to the others, who were thoroughly lost by this point.

Fluttershy took the sticks and drape, and Twilight Sparkle realised what she was up to.

”It's a bandage!” she said in amazement.

Fluttershy repeated this to Sombra as she approached.

“It'll hurt less once it has some support. It must hurt so much...Please..?” She held her breath as he stared at her. He'd angled his body to shield the broken leg, not trusting them not to abuse this weakness as his captor did.

Sombra didn’t speak, but the way he relaxed his body just a fraction gave her the cue to approach. He lifted his foreleg out of the way so the leg was reachable.

Everypony watching heaved a sigh of silent relief as Sombra LET Fluttershy set down by him. He kept his gaze gaze fixed on her though, body tensed to lash out if this turned out to be a lie.

The chain around his lower leg got in the way somewhat, but Fluttershy made do as best she could.

“We'd better hurry, what if a guard comes?” Rarity whispered to Twilight. Sombra's ears twitched, and Fluttershy was startled by him speaking. This close to him, she could hear the deep rumble of his voice, hear the exhaustion beneath it.

“Scorpan works...” Sombra fought to speak, each word a struggle with how sore his throat was, even after the water “-alone. He relies on his wards...to keep me here...” He trailed off.

“Also beating the daylights out of you so you haven’t the strength to escape! The trait of a self-centred loon..” Discord mused “yet it works in our favour.”

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath and approached once more, as Pinkie Pie let out a squeaky hiccup that echoed eerily round the cave.

Fluttershy walked back to the others. Having allowed her get close enough to set the leg, Sombra seemed willing to cut them some slack. He still remained on edge, but the growl of unease was softer, more muted.

"Its OK!" Twilight Sparkle said, holding her hoof up "I just want to look at that ward on your neck. I think I can break it..."

Twilight could see he was shaking. The broken leg, even bandaged, still looked agonizing, and she shuddered as she replayed that sound, of snapping bone...

She seen him read the thought in her expression and he flinched subtly, looking sick and scared.

Fluttershy was still tearing up in sympathy, looking at the blood on Sombra's coat. She also noticed from a cursory examination that he was very thin, no doubt part of Scorpans plan to stop him escaping. Even remaining sitting seemed to be exhausting him, he was shuddering more now...

Rarity patted her back. "I-i've never seen anything so cruel.." she shuddered "even after all this guys done!"

"Nopony deserves THAT. Never thought I'd hear myself say it regardin' that guy! Afterall, he did enslave a kingdom." Applejack grumbled. "But this is...I don't have no words fer it. Not nice ones anyhow..."

"True." Discord said "but even so, from what Fluttershy told me, he used them as slaves, not punching bags! This doesn’t justify what he tried to do, but even I'M disturbed by this situation." going by his tone, he was disgusted by Scorpan's attacks on Sombra.

On closer inspection, Twilight Sparkle could see where repeated uses of the ward had burned it onto his coat. From this, she was able to see it was designed like a collection of locks, to be very robust. Not something Sombra could overwhelm. Her eyebrows raised and she swallowed nervously as she stepped back.

"What is it, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"It's nasty magic, this is high level stuff..." she went pale, but looked like she had an idea "but I’m sure it can be unwound. It’ll take a minute, each layer will need to be untied."

Pinkie seen Sombra look heartbreakingly hopeful for a moment, then he shut his eyes and when they opened that hope seemed smothered. He regarded Twilight with a blank expression...

"Get out of here..." Sombra gathered his senses and used his remaining strength to push her side weakly with one hoof, trying to push her back back towards her friends "you don't want to be here when he comes back...You think he...finds dark magic rare, imagine what he'll do with Alicorn power..?" he'd spotted Twilight's wings when she'd gotten close, realising she was a Princess.

"We're not leaving!" Twilight Sparkle stepped back up to him, determined to get him out.

"Nope!” Pinkie Pie added "nope nope nope nope nope nope-"

"OK, we get it darling!" Rarity told her.

"All tha same, we'd best skedaddle pronto, before that guy gets back!" Applejack finished. Rainbow nodded from her spot by the door.

"Scorpan.." Sombra croaked "he wants revenge for Tirek's corruption and capture. Apparently he blames the princesses, including you and that other one.." he dimly recalled Cadance, but was too tired to ask her name, not that it mattered to him.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, “I’m going to remove this now. You'll be free soon.”

Applejack caught a flash in Sombra's eyes, a look that seemed to be...hope. And this time it seemed ready to stick around, Pinkie observed.

Even after all he'd endured, when Twilight Sparkle removed the first ward, he bit his lip so hard it bled. The coppery fluid stung his throat and he coughed, droplets of crimson falling to the ground.

He looked on the verge of passing out once more. It seemed to be taking everything he had just to sit up.

"Oh mah word this is bad.." Applejack gulped "ah hope Celestia's got a good doctor!"

“I can try find another way-” Twilight Sparkle began, but Sombra shook his head.

“It.. it matters not...” he said gruffly. She nodded, closing her eyes and focusing her magic on undoing the next ward. Soon she had them all off, and sighed in relief.

"Rarity...do you have any pins?" was her next question.

Rarity looked baffled, then understood when Twilight Sparkle gestured to the chains holding Sombra.

"Allow me~" Discord snapped his fingers, and his claws gleamed "never met a lock these beauties couldn't pick!"

Twilight Sparkle spoke softly to Sombra, head turned so nopony else would see her lips move.

"It's OK, he's...a friend..."

Sombra thought Discord looked familiar, but the pain was making it hard to think. He could barely focus on one at a time.

Discord quickly popped the lock on the chains around Sombra's legs. Despite how much it had to hurt, Sombra kept still as the chain on the broken leg came off next.

"One left..." this required him to approach Sombra's neck, and he half expected the stallion to bite him. His other paw had to steady the shaken pony’s neck so he could get to the lock, and he could feel how badly Sombra was shivering, hearing a faint rumbling growl of unease echoing through his body.

They heard distant hoofsteps, and froze.

"Quickly!" Rainbow Dash hissed "he's back!"

Twilight Sparkle lit her horn up, and uttering a quickly apology to Sombra, unleashed the Breezie spell once more.

Sombra closed his eyes as the bright magic hit him. When he opened them, he was much much tinier..

"Lets fly!" Rainbow Dash cried. The ground shook as Scorpan heard her voice and began racing towards his prisoners cave-

Without needing to be told, Fluttershy and Discord grabbed the shivering Sombra Breezie, and carried him between them as they flew for the crevasse. They heard Scorpan's roar of fury as they flew into the darkness, following the parrot out, only a tiny orb of Twilight Sparkle's magic to help them see...

Once they cleared the mountain, the parrot suggested they place the barely conscious Sombra Breezie on his back. The warmth of its feathers seemed to ease Sombra's pain, and he fell asleep in seconds.

"To Canterlot!" Pinkie Pie declared, and they winged off in that direction...

Author's Note

Thanks to everypony that so kindly left comments for the first chapter. :rainbowkiss:

I very nearly scrapped this altogether, but someone close to me encouraged me to post it. I find posting a new story somewhat intimidating, and so the comments i recieved put my mind at ease. :twilightsmile: Thanks~

"I Promise You're Safe..."

Celestia was surprised to see a group of Breezies fly into the throne room, but soon recognised who they were.

Twilight Sparkle blurted out they needed a soft bed, lots of blankets and a doctor for Sombra! Celestia had them bring him to the medical area, to a private room.

The parrot gently set its wounded passenger down atop the bed. Even in his Breezie form it was obvious he was in pain. He winced and made a faint sound as he was gently laid down.

The bird made a worried chirp. It felt bad for the Pony it'd met, then helped rescue. Despite the fact that the other pony's had referred to him as a tyrant, the parrot was somewhat fond of him. Sombra had given it bread, even when he was the one in desperate need.

As the bird flew back to perch atop Fluttershy's head, Twilight used the spell to return them all to pony form.

Fluttershy winced anew as she seen Sombra's injuries again. In the brightly lit room they looked worse then before. Even Celestia was taken aback by how badly hurt he was.

The contact of the warm bed against his injured body, now back in normal form, was enough to stir Sombra. He just barely managed to sit up, violent tremors making him nearly crumple back to the soft sheets. There were specks of blood absorbing into the linen, as the movement opened old wounds. On realising he wasn’t alone, Sombra's first reaction was to freeze up, making that same antagonized snarl. His ears were flattened completely down, as he began to grow more lucid...

Celestia was standing closest, and her big flowy mane obscured his peripheral vision as she stepped closer.

“Easy..” she said softly, her voice very soft. He flinched, head whipping round to fixate on her. He looked conflicted, as if unsure whether she was real or not…how could he be sure this wasn't just a hallucination?

This situation was diametrically opposed to the one he could recall before being turned into a Breezie. This wasn’t a hellish nightmare of cold stone, chains and painful magical extraction. This room was warm, sunny…

He was sure he recognised this blurry pony with the ever moving hair. Something to do with the sun? Something about his….death?

That was it, hadn’t she...disposed of him before? Was she here to do it again?

Almost in a daze, he lifted one hoof out towards her, convinced she wasn't there. Celestia let the hoof rest atop her golden shod one as she lifted it.

"I'm real." She whispered. Behind her, the view of all this was blocked by the Princesses mane, tail and wings, the Six wodnered what she was saying?

Celestia seen confusion spread to Sombra's eyes as he felt the solidity of her hoof. He withdrew his, looking fearful once more. She was real, she could hurt him...His memory was scatter-shot, small fragments with severed connections.

She said something he couldn’t hear, then there was a soft golden glow of magic, and he blanked out.

Celestia caught and set him down carefully once more. In the minute he'd been awake, she'd seen such fear in his eyes. It was an understatement to say she was worried.

The doctor arrived, seen who it was and naturally had a million questions.

“What the-?! PRINCESS, WHAT IN-mmpphh!”

For Rainbow Dash had shot out a hoof and slapped it over his mouth.

“Quuiieettt!” she hissed. “You got a problem with him asleep? Wake him up again and you'll really have a hard time! You have no idea how long it took Fluttershy to coax him into calming down when WE found him!”

“Its alright,” Celestia said, looking over at Sombra “He wont stir easily. I've used the heaviest sleeping spell I can. It'd take direct magical intervention to wake him suddenly.”

Rainbow Dash coughed and grinned apologetically as the doctor frowned at her, but she let him go.

“I will answer all questions in time, when I have the information to hoof. Right now I am as devoid of the answer to this situation as you are,” Celestia told the doctor as he ventured closer to Sombra, now he knew the stallion was out cold “but its something very serious, and Sombra is the only key we have to stopping it.”

Fluttershy trotted over to the doctor, speaking softly.

“I know you don’t like him, but...” her eyes misted as she recalled what Sombra had been through “he hasn’t done anything this time. A cruel monster was using him for his magic, ripping it away from him!”

The doctor was a unicorn, and this description made him wince instinctively.

“He viciously broke his leg so he wouldn’t be able to stand even if he could get free!” She gestured to the makeshift bandage she'd put on it “I tried to make it better, so it wouldn’t hurt so much...”

The doctor checked the bandage as he removed it “well you did an excellent job Miss, I’ll do what I can to fix it up.” He sounded more sympathetic after Fluttershy's tearful appeal.

“Thank you...” the pegasus said sincerely, stepping back to let him work. The doctor made a cursory check of the injuries he could discern at first glance.

“Sweet merciful YOU, Princess..” he muttered “what are we dealing with that could do THIS sort of damage? This guy's hardly a pushover!”

“That’s what we need to find out,” Celestia said seriously “and to do that, we need him.”

“I'll bring you my report when I’m done.” the doctor told her. She nodded, and they left, leaving the doctor to patch up Sombra.

He shook his head, muttering obscenities as he cut the cloak off the patients body, seeing what lay beneath. Injured ribs, cuts and scratches, a few looked on the verge of infection. He guessed Sombra had literally been licking his wounds, and it was this that'd probably kept him alive, on that front at least.

He began making a catalog of the patients injuries...

Celestia made them all tea, and had some birdseed fetched for the valiant parrot. When she heard the whole tale, she went white. The story of Scorpan's deliberate infliction of pain, the way he'd said Sombra was a stand in for both the Princesses AND all other ponies.

"Tirek's brother, I remember him.." she whispered, shaking her head "he was the one who came to warn us about Tirek the first time. He seemed a kind soul..."

“I recall visiting that kingdom once, but goodness me its been a while..” Discord muttered “Why has he waited all this time?”

“I wish I knew.” Celestia sighed.

"We dunno yer highness, but he ran his mouth in front of Sombra plenty of times I’ll warrant. Maybe he can tell ya?" Applejack suggested.

"I will need to speak with him, once he is well enough."

"Mentally speaking, you'll be waiting awhile.." Discord remarked.

"How do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"That pony's a few wrong moves away from breaking" Discord said bluntly, "one wrong step and he'll shatter, Princess. It took dear Fluttershy here awhile to safely approach, and even Princess Twilight offering a bottle of water seemed to scare him!"

"I see. So there’s been considerable damage.." Celestia sighed "this isn’t good."

"Your majesty?" the doctor and his aide stood in the doorway.

"How bad is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked, Celestia nodding.

"The worst I’ve ever seen." The Doctor said gravely "he's got three fractured ribs, several deep lacerations all over his body, abrasion cuts from what look like restraints, and his right hind leg has been broken repeatedly. He's dangerously underweight for his body type and will need antibotics. I've set his leg as well I can for now, but he may have a permanent limp at best..."

"Will he recover?" Celestia asked.

The doctor paused, then nodded "I cant vouch for what state his mind may be in, but physically speaking, he's dehydrated and probably needs some decent food in his system before he'll be well enough to leave his bed! I've set up an emergency drip feed, but he has a nasty fever and will require constant care until he's out of danger."

Celestia found a room with a big king sized bed that could hold Sombra. She placed wards on the windows, to stop him potentially escaping out of one, and the doors as well. She made sure the servants put the softest, nicest sheets on, and fluffy feather-filled blankets.

A doctor and a guard were assigned to keep watch over Sombra that night. The battered pony drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally attempting to speak, but what he said made no sense, and he soon passed out not long after. The doctor noted he didn't seem aware of where he was, or who was in the room with him.

The girls were all staying in the palace, and even Discord had been offered a place.

But he couldn't sleep, he was bored. And so, on the second night after Sombra's descent into the hellish fever, he paid him a visit. Mostly out of curiosity to see if Sombra had pulled through yet.

The room was dark, the candle had burnt down. The doctor was asleep in a chair by the bed. But Sombra was awake. He was hunched up on the bed, staring fearfully at the near pitch darkness surrounding him. Discord snapped a finger, and a candle appeared, burning softly. Sombra flinched, shutting his eyes against the sudden illumination.

"W-who's there..?" he gasped raggedly. He glanced around, realised he didn’t have the strength to move, and braced himself for whatever cruel impact was coming.

"Geez, he really did a number on you didn’t he?" the voice was familiar. Sombra hesitantly opened his eyes, faintly recognising Discord from when he'd unlocked the chains.

To the Draconequus it was a strange sight, seeing a former tyrant shivering in fear, his mind fractured and lost. So much pain and fear concentrated in one pony's body...he'd never seen anything like it.

"Go to sleep." He said bluntly, and tapped the pony’s nose gently. This unleashed a well used hypnosis spell, and Sombra was far too weak to ignore the suggestion. He blacked out, looking more at ease now he was asleep.

With Sombra sufficiently asleep, Discord startled the doctor awake. The sleepy pony got up and ambled over to Sombra, sighing in relief as he checked his temperature and breathing;

"Fevers finally burnt out," he muttered "I didn’t think his body could take much more. Hopefully now he'll sleep in peace. He's been waking up in a panic, but I couldn’t risk giving him any more sedative, he's too weak to process any heavy amount of medicine.”

"If someone is prepared to do this to HIM, makes me wonder what we're up against.." Discord muttered. The doctor shuddered.

"I dread to think. To even think of resurrecting this guy, he must be desperate. How does Celestia plan to control him once he recovers?"

"Any other method but this one-!" Discord snorted, indicating Sombra's injuries "knowing Celestia, she'll try and get the girls to talk to him."

"What will that do?" the doctor asked.

"Well, they managed to reform ME, didn’t they- shut up." Discord seen the sceptical look on the doc's face "just ask my dear friend Fluttershy! I'm much better now!"

He trailed off, contemplating how Flutters would react "she'd say he deserves the same chance, and undoubtedly he will be offered it. Whether he accepts it is entirely up to him."

The doc had to admit the Draconequus had a point...

Sombra's head throbbed painfully. He opened his eyes, the bright light of the room causing him to whimper in agony and pull the covers over his head. Wait...covers?

That snapped him out of his daze, and he hurriedly raised his head, eyes settling oh the soft down quilt covering him. Its softness felt good against his skin. Looking around he seen he was in a sparsely decorated, but still fancy room. He threw the covers off, and took stock of himself.

The dried blood had been cleaned from his coat, and the worst cuts were neatly stitched. Others were bandaged, and on his right right hind leg there was a metal brace, keeping it in a set position. Somepony had taken great care to patch him up. What did they want from him?

Heart in his throat he managed to get up from the bed. The room spun and he fought back a wave of nausea. But eventually he was able to stand steady on the three uninjured legs, avoiding standing on the broken one. Although it wasn’t as agonizing as it'd been before, he could still feel echoes of the torment all over.

The open window yielded no way out, besides being too high up, it was blocked by magic. The door was the same, he could sense it, it was powerful magic. He began to panic, stumbling back to the window and peering out. He couldn’t breathe, he was trapped!

"No...no..." he croaked, fear making him feel violently ill. Tremors accosted his body as he backed away. A second later he heard hoof steps behind him, felt a hoof brush his back-

Fear sent warning stabs of pain through his body, and he felt close to blacking out for a split second-

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled with as much volume as his aching throat would allow. He stumbled back, realised he was penned in and turned to face his attacker. The wall pressed against his back as he pressed close to it, the solid surface reassuring amidst the fear.

Then he slowly realised who it was and his heart lifted...

"It IS you," he said with a funny, fractured laugh "good! I don’t care how you do it, just end this. Me. Now!" he laughed "I have no magic left, there's nothing I can give YOU!"

He waited, hope clawing at his chest, would this finally be over now..?

Celestia was startled by his violent response to a simple touch. The way he cried out, the fear was very real. He was like a cornered animal, desperate to escape. Then he seemed to recognise her, for he got a funny look on his face, and babbled about her being there to...

--Does he think I’m here to kill him?-- Celestia seen what Discord meant. Sombra was fractured as badly as some of his bones had been. His world consisted of pain and abuse right now, and he likened her to a peaceful end from it. Twilight Sparkle said he'd asked the same thing of HER, was she there to stop him?

"I'm not here to destroy you," she said calmly. It concerned her how upset he seemed by this news once he processed it, "your not in any danger."

He shook his head as if unable to comprehend this, that the one hope he'd held onto wasn’t coming true. So he took desperate action, and lunged for her. But she'd expected he might lash out, and quickly danced aside. He stumbled and slumped to the floor with a gasp. She pinned him down using one foreleg and her right wing, but using little force, as he was in enough discomfort. This way he could see her face, see the honest expression on it.

“Sombra!” she said sharply, as he tried to push her away with as much strength as his injured body could give “listen to me!”

“Just get off me!!” he yelled. His garnet red eyes were filled with undisguised fear, she could FEEL how much he was shaking. She swiftly realised he'd developed an aversion to contact. So she took a chance on getting to her hooves, backing away a little. He slumped in relief, ears flat.

“There, you’re alright.” She repeated.

Sombra laughed, the sound tinged with desperation as he at last lifted his head to look at her "I don’t have anything you want. What point is there in keeping me alive?" he shut his eyes, "I’d welcome that darkness again, whether its permanent or not."

"You’re still in a lot of pain. The doctors did the best they could for you. I will fetch them shortly to administer something to make you feel better."

"Why..?" he croaked with a bleak emptiness "what do you want?"

"Twilight Sparkle told me what Scorpan said-" she noted how Sombra looked queasy at the mention of that name "we need to stop him."

Sombra said nothing. She kept in mind what Discord had said, and wondered if offering Sombra a guarantee of safety would ease his fear? But how would she prove her sincerity when he'd been given no good example of a promise.

"I promise you will be safe here." she said firmly. Sombra got to his hooves, and limped away from her, sitting so the bed was propping him up. He absently drew the blanket towards him, the warmth seemed to comfort him. She could see he was retreating into his head, trying to to mask what'd happened.

"Why do you care?" he asked, sounding oddly lucid "once you get what you want, you'll seal me away. Don’t think I can't see through you."

"I’m not going to do that.” Celestia said firmly. “We're not going to treat you like Scorpan did. He could’ve killed you-”

Sombra shook his head, gazing into the distance as she watched him "no...he couldn’t. He said he needed me alive. I'm the last Umbrum, he said I have a destiny."

Celestia's eyes widened "what did you say?!" she asked. It couldn’t be-?

"Umbrum..." Sombra looked at her, still blank "didn't you notice I wasn’t a normal pony?"

Celestia shook her head.

"The Umbrum are a legend," she said softly "a legendary race of ponies gifted with....arcane magic.." she trailed off.

Sombra stared wordlessly at her.

"That’s how you came to be a master of dark magic," she said at last "if you’re an Umbrum pony. I didn’t think any existed..."

Sombra shivered "I’m the last free Umbrum.." he whispered.

"Free?" she asked.

"Beneath the Empire, my entire race awaits…" this fact had returned during one of the nightmare fuelled nights while he'd been trapped in the fevers grip. Visions of the castle, of what he'd been told somehow, by a faceless voice, that he had to seek. But this was the first he'd tried as far as vocalising it had gone.

Celestia stood there, mouth open, mind a whirl.

"You should see your face." for a moment Sombra seemed back to his old self, but when she took a step towards him he edged back, body tensed. She stopped, raising a hoof to indicate she'd stay put. This gesture he recognised from those filly's that’d appeared in the cave.

--This was what he wanted the Empire for..-- she realised at last. She was shocked by the pieces finally fitting together. Sombra had used the enslaved ponies to try and dig up his former race. But where'd HE come from?

When she asked this, he shook his head.

"The memory is lost to me," he whispered. “so much is...”

"That’s likely trauma, they may come back. Let yourself recover.” She sighed guiltily “This is a heavy thing to ask of you, but what does Scorpan want?"

He shuddered, hunching over.

"He wants his brother." he whispered. One hoof moved to his neck, recalling the hands almost choking the life out of him. The marks were still visible on his coat, she noticed.

"And he's prepared to use whatever he can to get him back…" he continued, voice rasping a little even after plenty of fluids.

"Dark magic." Celestia said. A weak nod from Sombra.

"He's been storing it. Everyday he'd rip it from my body, use whatever spells he could to replenish it, over and over." he shut his eyes as the memory came back, of the heart-stuttering pain of having what formed such a core part of him torn away by force.

“Inexcusable.” Celestia managed to speak, shaking her head.

Sombra laughed softly, indicating he didn’t buy what she was saying.

He had a foreleg wrapped around his stomach, but this wasn’t keeping it at bay, for a second later he got to his hooves, running into the adjoining bathroom and kicking the door shut. Celestia winced as she heard him be violently sick. When those sounds faded, she heard muffled gasps and faint cries.

--How much pain is he in..?-- she wondered. The sound of water running, then the door clicked open...

She backed away from the bathroom as he at last stumbled out. Seeing she was at a safe distance he relaxed a little, curling up atop the plush bed, his injured leg set in its brace angled so he wasn’t leaning on it.

He seemed resigned to the fact he was captured once more.

"A prison is a prison, even if it is warm.." he said drowsily "no doubt you’re here to stop my magic regenerating, aren’t you?"

To his surprise, Celestia shook her head "you are here to recover." she stressed. "I want to stop Scorpan before he makes the same mistakes as his brother. You are not to blame in this incident. You were a pawn in his game."

"I can never be free, and you know it," Sombra seemed to have reached some sort of truth that he was prepared to accept, as his voice didn’t shake as much when he spoke.

"You could be, if you’re prepared to change enough." Celestia surprised him.

"....?" he looked confused.

"You’re alive, and I’m not going to kill you, or seal you away Sombra." she took in his battered appearance "with your help, I can protect Equestria, and you could have a fresh start. It wont be easy, but do you truly want to die?"

He looked torn between his fear and what she offered him.

"But.." he whispered, looking down at his bandaged hoofs. He heard her hoofsteps and tensed once more. He tried to sit back up, but having been held in chains for so long, his muscles were prone to cramping up when he tried to move too much, and it set every other injury complaining. The fight abruptly left him, and he collapsed on top of the bed, head resting on his forelegs. He closed his eyes….

"I cannot fight you," he said hoarsely, and she was surprised to hear his voice tremble "do what you will."

It hit her hard how badly he'd been scarred, as she seen crystalline tears fall to the bedspread.

"I just want it to stop." she heard him croak.

She had an idea, and took off her neck-plate jewellery. With a quick spell she changed it into a simplified design, still with a similar shape, but now a slimmer golden band, the jewel at the front. she floated this over to the bed and set it beside him. He raised his head, fresh pained tears hovering on his lashes, staring at it in confusion.

"Its a guarantee, not a trap." she said "on my honour and that of this world I help guide, if you can help us stop Scorpan's plans, you can have whatever life you want for yourself. We can find a place far away, if you do not wish to live in a city."

"What makes you think you can trust me?" he said hollowly "aren’t I insane?"

"Far from it now," she replied "before, you were cunning, efficient, even calculating. But insane? Not any more. You were not this level of comprehending when first we encountered you."

He didn’t say a word.

"Keep it with you, if you choose to accept it or not, I will still endeavour to keep you from harm. You're the key factor in how this plot turns, vital to both sides. Scorpan wont take your escape lying down."

She urged him to sleep, consider her offer. He managed a nod, and fell asleep seconds later. Before she left, she placed the blanket back over him, to keep him warm. It was a strange sight, seeing him so vulnerable, so afraid. The girls had told her about the torture imposed on him by Scorpan, and poor Fluttershy had cried in sympathy. But seeing him now, she realised that, for him to break down that way in front of her, he truly held no faith in anypony or common decency now.

For them to save Equestria from Scorpan, they would need to show Sombra why he could trust them, no small feat.

And what of the rest of his race, beneath the Empire? She needed to do some searching...

Author's Note

Next bit. :pinkiesmile: Thank you all for reading~

It took a few readings for me to spot Discord in the Fiendship is Magic issue about Tirek, He's only in two panels as far as i can see...

Discord, The Therapist?

Celestia told the girls over dinner what'd happened, and how Sombra had reacted. Twilight Sparkle looked worried.

"He’s been hurt really badly, hasn’t he?" she whispered "he was petrified of us in that cave..."

"That much suffering would scare anypony," Celestia agreed "it concerns me his first words were a plea that I essentially destroy him. How far has he been pushed to make THAT the first thought, even after waking up in safety?"

"Can we fix 'im?" Applejack asked.

"We can try to reassure him," Celestia sighed "but right now he doesn’t trust any of us. It's a conditioned response, after severe physical and no doubt mental torture. Fully fixing that level of trauma can take a long time. The best we can do right now is coach him to relax around us."

She shook her head, looking concerned as she replayed Sombra's reaction in her head “When he realised I wasn’t going to grant that destructive wish, he tried to provoke me into responding. I had to restrain him, which was when I learnt he's very afraid of physical contact. I must urge you to avoid startling him, if he ever allows me to persuade him to leave his room.”

“Gotcha, no surprises. Or hugs. Or surprise hugs..” Pinkie Pie began to tally the list of things she could do that might startle Sombra and realised she needed to think.

“Whelp, she won't resurface fer awhile..” Applejack joked, looking at Pinkie Pie, who was staring so intently at the table she was surprised it didn’t catch on fire!

"I hope we can figure out what the beast of a brother of Tirek's is up to!" Rarity shuddered "the only lead we have is Sombra!"

"We're boned." Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Maybe a little kindness will help..?" Fluttershy whispered.

"I need to do some research into the Umbrum ponies," Celestia said. Twilight Sparkle's ears perked up and she added "of course you can help me Twilight!"

"Yes!" Twilight Sparkle cheered, making her friends roll their eyes. The Princess of friendship coughed, and assumed some decorum, continuing eating her food.

The next morning Celestia came to check on Sombra, along with the doctor.

This marked the first time the doctor had tended to Sombra while he was awake, and he was a little apprehensive, and secretly glad Celestia was there as backup.

Sombra looked up as the door was opened, and the guard announced who it was.

Celestia moved to speak to Sombra first.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked. A pause, in which he seemed to decide he was OK around her, and he nodded.

“The doctor needs to check your injuries, will you be alright with that?”

Sombra looked confused as to why she cared, why didn’t she just DEMAND he obey? He couldn’t fight her after all. But that necklace she'd left with him, did she mean it? These conflicting ideals made it hard to think...

She waited patiently as he battled with the decision, and finally managed another nod.

The doc picked up the medical bag he'd brought with him and crossed over to the bed. At first glance, some of the bruising appeared to be fading, which was a good sign. The Princess had mentioned Sombra had demonstrated a serious fear of being touched, so he went on a visual check whenever possible. The stallion was painfully underfed, he'd lost a lot of weight.

Although he had to do a proper examination to see if the injured ribs were healing, and also remove the brace to check the leg. Sombra did tense up, but he managed to refrain from snarling at him.

But the doctor did detect the way the bigger pony was shaking subtly. He was so tensed up it must’ve been uncomfortable.

“Due to your, ah, circumstances of containment,” he said tactfully as he listened to Sombra's heart-rate “your musculature has cramped up significantly. I'd advise you try moving around more now, your body needs to get used to it again. Understandably its been difficult since arriving here, you’ve spent most of your time in a feverish state. That takes a lot out of you.”

Stepping back, he scribbled some notes “I’ll make some recommendations for your diet now you’re able to get up.”

He winced as he glanced at one of the questions he'd written down “I hate to ask, but it would help greatly. What was the food situation during imprisonment?”

Sombra winced and looked away. But he did eventually speak.

“Nothing fancy,” he said in a dull tone “I don’t really recall anything.”

“The little parrot said you gave him bread?” Celestia said softly.

“Hmm...” The doctor nodded at both statements “I see. I'll make sure to include extra supplements that'll help your immune system. But, memory loss is quite common with what you’ve been through. The memories may well return in weeks, or years, I cant say. But they will return.”

“I’m sure there's somepony out there that can remind me who I am,” Sombra said. His tone was emotionless for the most part, but the undertone of obvious self disgust was clear to Celestia, “I wouldn’t be concerned about THAT.”

The doctor was a mix of surprised and alarmed. Surprised that Sombra had just causally admitted to being somewhat off-put by his own actions. And alarmed by the deadened expression on the stallion's face. He'd shown no emotion this whole time, bar unease at being touched.

After hearing the testimonies from the six young ladies that’d rescued Sombra, he could see why the yellow pegasus had been so upset. What they’d described was the worst case he'd heard in all his studies. The plan had clearly been to leave this pony shattered and unable to mend. He was concerned the one behind Sombra's capture may well have succeeded.

The only thing left to do was a shot of painkillers, to make it easier for Sombra to rest. Then he showed the pony how to remove the brace for his leg if he needed to.

After he left, Celestia had a suggestion for Sombra;

“There is a secret area in this castle. It contains a relaxing spa pool. My sister and I have kept it working all this time. The water has wonderful properties for aching bones. Maybe it would help you?”

He tried to sit up and winced as he did. The doctor wasn’t kidding, he WAS finding it hard to move.

“But the ponies here, won't you have a riot on your hooves if they should see me?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow “While you were asleep, news of your being here and the circumstances has spread. They are at least accepting of the situation. I said you’re safe here, and I mean it. “

Sombra still didn’t react to her promise, he clearly couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

But he did agree to Celestia's plan. She walked down there with him, and they encountered only a few guards, who paused to say hello to the sun Princess, and two delivered a brief status report.

“No news so far, your majesty, there’s been no sightings or incidents.” the first one finished.

“I’ve had them keep an ear out for Scorpan,” Celestia said to Sombra, who paled and looked nauseous, the guards noticed “I am in no doubt that he will try to reclaim you. And its not going to happen.”

Sombra shut his eyes a moment, feeling the room spinning.

“-ing sick?” He felt a hoof trying to steady him, and was incapable of stopping himself from automatically flinching away just a little. He felt nausea rising, and forced it down. He made himself stay still, even though his heart was racing in fear.

“It's no matter.” he said shortly. This was close as Celestia could get him to admit he was OK. She nodded.

“Let me know if you hear anything more,” She said to the guards, who nodded, before watching as Celestia said something inaudible to their ears to the shell shocked Sombra. He snapped out of the trance he seemed to be in. He shook his head in response to whatever she said, and she nodded, satisfied, before ushering him on.

“I didn’t realise he'd be THAT messed in the head...” the first muttered “I heard rumours he'd been tortured, but this looks BAD.”

“Yeah, especially given who this guy is,” the second added “its scary that this other lunatic was able to overpower him and even try a plan like what the Princess mentioned.”

“Is the Princess hoping he'll help US instead?” the first said, raising an eyebrow.

“Lets face it, if by some miracle that guy even HAS a heart and she CAN reach it, how long will it take? If this Scorpan's as dangerous as the Princess seems to believe, and he wants Sombra back, he's not going to wait for long...”

They fell silent, amazed by the fact the situation hinged on Sombra's choices.

Celestia led Sombra to the secret pool room. The water was heated using specialist spells.

“It's wonderful for relaxing your muscles, just take your time. You will not be disturbed. I will post a guard outside the door, once you're finished, just knock on the door and he'll fetch me.”

Before she left, she put a spell on the various bandages to keep them waterproof, so the Doctor wouldn't have to change them. There was a secret layer to the spell however. The Doctor had stated he was concerned Sombra may attempt to cause himself further injury, after what he'd been through, some variety of post traumatic stress was highly likely. Add to that the fact he'd asked repeatedly was he was going to be put out of his misery, and the Doctor was worried about his state of mind.

Although Celestia did point out she'd seen some improvement in their visit. Sombra hadn’t seemed so hostile, or quite so on edge as the first time he'd woken up in the hospital.

The extra caveat to the spell would alert her if his vital signs altered drastically.

She was going to such lengths to guard him, and Sombra still didn’t understand why she cared. But he nodded when she asked was he alright on his own, and she left.

He stepped into the heated water. It hurt at first, but he soon seen what she meant. It was...soothing. He could almost believe he wasn't living in a gilded prison, escaped from a nightmare captor.

Taking a deep breath he allowed his whole body to sink beneath the water. It closed over his head, the silence reassuring. Only the thud of his heart beat in his ears. He stayed under as long as he could, before breaking the surface once more. He slumped back against the side of the pool.

His leg still ached subtly, even beneath the waters heated touch. He shuddered as he recalled Scorpan breaking it that first day, and laughing as he stepped on it, forcing the bone to stay unhealed.

He shook his head, he didn’t want to see those memories again.

“Please make it stop...” he croaked to the silent room. Tight bands of panic had clamped around his chest and felt like they weren’t letting up. After a few minutes the panic passed, and he was able to breathe easily once more. Starting to get sleepy, he dragged himself to his hooves and limped unsteadily out of the pool.

A luxurious soft towel was draped across a chair, and he used this to dry his coat. He seen his reflection in the mirrored walls, and seen all the bandages scattered across his whole body. The marks around his neck were fading a little. He pressed one hoof over them, fear returning as he recalled the one that’d inflicted them.

“Why does she care?” he asked thin air, his voice cracking “I’m just a...monster. There’s no place for something like me...”

He slumped to the floor, feeling abruptly overwhelmed. His head was buzzing with so many thoughts…

“They're afraid of you, you know..” Sombra looked up as he heard...his own voice?!

His reflection was staring at him, smirking cruelly.

“W-what?” he whispered.

“Don’t you recall what you did before? They wont let you go so easily. You'll always be imprisoned, even Celestia cant assure a populace you’re the victim in this case.” The reflection laughed “not that it matters. You deserved this, you know that?”

Sombra shook his head, but then faltered. This was just a hallucination, right?

“Come now, don’t lie to yourself..” the reflection snarled “we both know I’m right. For what you did before, this is what you deserve. Stop kidding yourself-”

“Stop!” Sombra gasped at last, the sound dwarfed by the massive room. The reflection sneered, and addressed him once more before fading back to normal.

“Deny it all you want, you know she wants something from you. What will she do to protect her precious kingdom, and get the information YOU have?”

Sombra closed his eyes, feeling sick. After several minutes the feeling faded, and he suppressed it as best he could. So when Celestia was summoned by the guards, she didn’t see any noticeable difference in him, just that he looked sleepy.

The doctor was waiting back at the room, bearing some food and drink.

He spoke with Celestia while the patient had his first decent meal since waking up in the world at Scorpan's hands. Sombra was surprised by how much he was able to eat, and how good it felt to have some proper food. But after being virtually starved for days on end, after only a half or so of the food, his stomach ached and he stopped.

The doctor asked some more questions, which Sombra answered in the same monotone as before, then they left him to sleep.

They left his room under a guards supervision, in case he fell ill again, and the doctor impressed upon Celestia how concerned he was by Sombra's lack of reaction.

"He's suppressing so much Princess, it's going to damage him eventually. He needs to talk about it, there has to be somepony he will trust. If he doesn’t, then…" he shook his head sadly.

The whole time, Discord had been following the doc, disguised as a particularly bizarre looking bee. It occurred to him his hypnosis could get Sombra to spill the beans. The real question was, did he know what to do with an emotional pony? There was a high chance he'd touch upon Sombra's fears, and the pony was already in a fragile mental state.

He decided to try, he could always hypnotise Sombra again if he needed it. There was a slight risk this may not work, but if doing this meant stopping Tirek's mad brother, he was prepared to give it a go. He had no desire to see history repeat itself...

Sombra looked up as the guard suddenly fell asleep standing up, and felt a fresh tremor of fear hit him.

"Its just me~" the voice and owner were familiar, Sombra was sure he'd seen him before, he'd helped him..sleep...

"On Flutter's honour, I’m not here to hurt you!" The Draconequus said grandiosely. Seeing Sombra looking still as freaked out, but now confused, he coughed and abandoned the theatrics. Aware of Celestia's news bulletin regarding Sombra's fear of contact, he made it quick. He shot over and poked Sombra's nose swiftly, seeing the pony's expression shift for a split second, to one of fear, then go slightly distant as his mind relaxed under the hypnosis.

"Spill it," Discord said absently, as he looked around the room "what’s rushing around that head of yours? What can you recall?"

What followed was an itinerary of torture directives, and threats against not just Sombra, but the princesses. All of it spilling out, in that same emotionless voice. It was as if he was merely reciting a passage from a book, not detailing the worst nightmares of his life. Some bits made Discord wince, they sounded so bad.

"Why is he so angry at 'Tia and the other ones?" Discord asked when Sombra finally hesitated.

Sombra blinked once "because they didn’t even try to help him," he mimicked Scorpan "they just locked him up again!"

"Pfft! That guy was BEYOND help!" Discord snorted.

"It's his brother, he still loves him. And thinks he has a good side left." Sombra said dully.

"Why YOU? Could he not learn dark magic from some place else?"

"He needs me." Sombra said distantly, and Discord wondered if he had stockhorn syndrome, where a captive begins to bond with a kidnapper. It seemed unlikely though. It was obvious Scorpan had detested Sombra, holding only feelings of disdain for him.

"Why does he need you so badly?" he asked, regardless. Sombra shivered, fear showing in his eyes now;

"I'm the only one of my kind alive, he wants to use me to fulfil an ancient prophecy.."

"Of what..?"

Sombra shook his head "I don't know, I cant remember..." he said, his voice shaking "but it was the reason he wouldn’t kill me. I kept hoping. I cant stand not knowing if it’ll ever stop, even in this place. Will it ever stop?!"

The tremor in his voice alerted Discord to the fact Sombra had reached breaking point. He turned to face the bed, where Sombra was staring at the bedspread, unaware of the crystalline tears falling to its surface. He was shaking worse then before, too.

"What good did torturing you do?" Discord muttered, frowning.

"He said he had to break me," Sombra spoke like a child discussing a mere toy, a broken laugh backing this up "he couldn’t risk my getting away. He kept saying he'd stop hurting me if I just gave in, but I didn’t believe him..." his voice had reached a more frantic pitch "you cant fool a monster. I know how he thinks! Afterall, am I not the same?!"

"Puhlease!" Discord snorted "you’re a cuddly little colt compared to that thing and his foul relations!"

“I don’t….I cant...” Sombra couldn’t explain what was hurting him, he was still too locked up in his nightmares and fears. He let his body go slack, slumping to the bed covers, head pounding with so much pressure. It had to go somewhere, and it sought the most base of expressions. He seen his vision blur, felt the same overwhelming force that accompanied the onslaught of fearful imagery.

He buried his head in his hooves, the muffled sounds making Discord feel sorry for him. They needed what Sombra knew of Scorpan, and they needed it fast. But Sombra was in no state to weather such an intense storm. He needed someone to protect him.

In an oddly sympathetic move, he placed a paw on Sombra's head, hearing the sobbing still as the pony tensed up. Under the hypnosis, Sombra didn’t register the contact as a danger, didn’t feel the debilitating terror a simple touch had so far visited upon him. Moreover, it was the warmth of the gesture that startled him into silence.

"Fluttershy, the sweet little yellow one. She can be a friend if you let her. They ALL can. WE all can." Discord said, adding the last bit as an afterthought. He used his magic to calm Sombra's mind, the poor pony looked like he needed it.

Sombra slowed his breathing as the spell sunk in. Discord stepped back, hoping it'd worked. Sombra looked a little calmer now as he looked up at Discord...

He tried to speak, but began coughing instead. Discord looked for a glass of water, then had an idea.

He snapped his fingers, making a set of glasses appear along with a tiny pink rain-cloud.

"Watch this!" he cackled in amusement, snapping his fingers and making the tiny cloud rain chocolate milk into the glasses "ta-da!"

“What is that?" Sombra asked.

"You've never heard of chocolate milk? Good grief man, just drink it!" Discord set one of the glasses between Sombra's hooves. Sombra regarded it curiously before trying a bit. His ears perked up slightly, and a flash of hope seemed to glance across his eyes as he he slowly finished it.

"The best, isn’t it?" Discord finished his glass and threw it behind him, where it vanished.

Sombra nodded, looking drowsy as he regarded the empty glass "its...nice..."

The two words were filled with more hope then Discord had detected since the rescue mission to retrieve this pony. He made the glass vanish, and tapped Sombra's nose again, telling him to sleep.

He snuck out the door, a snap of his fingers awakening the guard, who was none the wiser about what’d happened. He was tiptoeing along the hall when-

"What did he tell you?" Celestia spoke as if from nowhere, making Discord yelp.

"Don’t do that!" he scolded, "and what on Equestria are you talking about?"

"You think that disguise fooled me?" she said. He paused, opened his mouth, then thought better about answering. She continued, entirely unfazed.

"I'm aware of your hypnosis spell, and it at least would ease what Sombra's suffering."

“So why not ask me directly?"

"You seem to work better on your own initiative, since regaining your bond with Fluttershy." Celestia said "I guessed the process would be easier on Sombra this way."

"Smart ass.."

Celestia merely raised an eyebrow.

They went to her office for tea, so Discord could tell her what he'd managed to gain from Sombra. He added Sombra had hinted at being afraid of being in so much pain he'd want to die again...

"I was afraid of that..." Celestia sighed "it ties into his first reaction to seeing me."

"He said the same thing?" Discord said.

She nodded "Yes, he was begging me to make the pain stop."

Discord flashed back to Sombra's tears, seen the fear in his eyes.

"I'd say he's afraid of us wanting the same thing from him. Information, magic. And if he cant remember it, what will you do to him? That’s what seemed to strike fear into him.”

"We'll find a way to help him, nopony should have to go through what he did.”

Author's Note

Pineapples. That is all.

A Nightmare Incarnate

Sombra's dreams that night centred around the erasure from the past. Of the Empire and his defeat. He recognised the ponies now, the ones that’d rescued him were the same that’d helped defend against him. He seen flashes of his time in the Empire, intersected by the flashbacks of Scorpan's tortures.

His brain turned betrayer and he suffered a hallucinatory nightmare that had him waking, a terrified cry shattering the peace of the night. He lay there in the darkness, stomach churning in fright.

He'd seen himself imprisoned once more, only this time it was in the Empire, at the hooves of the two he'd tried to take it from last time. The Alicorn Princess and the white unicorn with blue mane. His nightmares of Scorpan's torture bled into the illusion, and those two became his tormentors.

--Don’t you get it?-- he heard that same voice in his head. Snapping out of the daze he sat up quickly, and seen a ghostly illusion at the end of his bed. It was HIM, but dressed as he was before, the armor and crown, the red fur-tipped cape draped over his back.

“Don’t you get it?” The illusion spoke out loud now “you can't believe what the Princess offers you, she just wants the information to protect her kingdom. What use will she have for you once you’ve given her that?”

“B-but..” Sombra croaked, and the ghostly Sombra stepped closer to him, eyes flashing.

“You sentimental fool! You hope this Princess will be merciful because she made one promise?”

“Its an oath b-” he began but the ghost cut him off.

“Give it up! There’s no place for a monster in their world- Abandon this weak hope now, before it ruins you!”

“Oh, DO shut up, wont you?” a smarmy voice interrupted them. The ghostly version of Sombra turned, coming face to face with...a ghostly Discord?

“Do push off,” Discord snickered “I need to talk to the REAL one!” pointing at the confused Sombra.

And without waiting for a response, he fired a blast of magic at the ghostly vision, wiping it out.

“You have GOT to stop letting your imagination run riot...” he lectured the stunned Sombra. Then he noticed the stallion was shaking, on the verge of breaking down again. Eyes wide, full of desperate panic as he tried to breathe normally.

Discord poked his nose, using the same spell as before. But he noticed Sombra was still breathing very rapidly, the panic refusing to release his body, even if it had his mind. The spell had wiped away the feelings of terror, but the body was wondering why it was shaking so.

“Hm, perhaps this...” he reached out and scratched behind Sombra's right ear. Sombra blinked, caught off guard by the unexpectedly gentle gesture. The hypnosis once again kept the fear of contact at bay, and he felt the bands around his chest loosen just a little. He could breathe...

--Well that worked…-- Discord thought in relief. He'd discovered most ponies had a thing about being scratched behind the ears. It made Fluttershy giggle, as she was ticklish. He'd done it once to Celestia when she'd been particularly stressed out, and she'd actually relaxed for a few seconds, before regrettably recalling why she was cross at him and resuming her lecture, even if it had been tinged with an amused smile.

It seemed to be having the same effect on Sombra. The pony was relaxing, the tension in his body slacking off, chest rising and falling in a more regular rate, as opposed to the hyperventilating of moments prior.

Seeing the way Sombra was fighting to keep awake, eyes drifting closed, a simple sleep spell sent him to a restful state.

Figuring he'd keep an eye on him, in case he freaked out again, Discord summoned a hammock and flopped into it, idly conjuring a candle and a book to read….

When Sombra woke up the next morning he was surprised to see Discord still there. Sleeping in a hammock suspended in mid air, the Draconequus was snoring softly, muttering something about cheesecakes. Sombra sat up on the bed, and the springs creaked slightly. This startled Discord, who bumbled upright declaring;

“But your eminence, I AM the king of the penguins!” before realising where he was and coughing. Looking at Sombra he added “you didn’t hear that, alright?” in an amused tone.

Sombra looked perplexed and tried to talk, but nothing came out.

“Hm? What’s the matter?” Discord asked, seeing a look of panic on his face. Sombra gestured to his throat, looking frantic.

“Relax, maybe you just lost your voice temporarily, you woke up screaming afterall...”

The reminder made Sombra hunch up on the bed, looking pale. He tried to push the images away, but a second later and it became too much, and this time it was Discord left in the dust as Sombra shot by him and into the bathroom, kicking the door shut.

Like Celestia, all he could do was wince at the sounds of a frightened pony being violently sick.

Alone in the bathroom, Sombra waited until he was sure he could stand without blacking out and staggered to the sink. After drinking a load of water, he felt slightly better. But he didn't want to go outside the room. He was at least somewhat safe in here….right? Or could this strange guardian just teleport through the wall?

No doubt the doctor or Celestia would be called, and he couldn't face them. So he curled up on the cold floor, shivering. Hiccupy sounds escaped him, as he wished this would just end.

“You're going to freeze.” the voice startled him and he tried to stand, but his legs had turned to jelly and he crashed back to the floor with a soft gasp of pain as the braced leg twinged.

“Oops!” Discord said guiltily, and quickly wrapped his tail around Sombra's middle, careful to avoid the bruised ribs. He felt Sombra tense up, a faint panicked sound rumbling through his body.

Quickly, he carried him back to the bed and set him down. Sombra seemed to have gone into shock, the contact paralysing his mind in fear.

“No-one's going to hurt you,” Discord repeated what Celestia had said “not the girls, not the Princess. And me? I'm harmless! Well, technically Discord, but you can call me either!”

Sombra looked perplexed as he tried to catch up to this rapid fire speech. But at last he managed a single nod.

“Why so silent?” Discord queried. Sombra looked unsure, and shook his head.

“Hmm, you need some fresh air!” Discord snapped his fingers and in a flash, he and Sombra appeared standing out in the garden. Sombra staggered on his feet, blinking.

“Hi!” a pink pony popped up in front of him, and he staggered back, balance disturbed by the sudden teleport.

“Whoops!” She apologised, reaching a hoof out to him, then recalling what Celestia had said about touch, and retracted it.

“No hoofsies, promise!” she offered. Sombra edged back until his back hit a tree, and further retreat become impossible. But they were at a safe distance and he finally felt able to relax.

"Whoa," Rainbow Dash shook her head and spoke very softly "he's really wigging out isn’t he?"

"I've seen animals react this way," Fluttershy said sadly. The others looked at her as she explained;

"If an animal is badly abused by its owner, it comes to judge all owners by what its experienced, and will do whatever it takes to avoid them. Sombra must think we want to hurt him too, so he doesn't want us near him!"

"So how d'ya persuade yer animal friends to accept you?" Applejack asked.

"It takes time, and kindness. Just little things. Maybe, day by day, I’d step a little closer. offer something and move back so they know I wont steal it away."

"Would feeding him cakes help?" Pinkie Pie asked. She darted back to the basket and picked out the tastiest cake she'd made that morning, and trotted back to Sombra, setting it in front of him before sitting a ways back, smiling proudly.

“Cakey!” She announced “they’re super yummy!” She patted her belly, which gurgled. She grinned sheepishly, pulling a spare cake from her mane and popping it in her mouth.

"The case, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight Sparkle looked mildly horrified. Pinkie Pie slapped her chest with one hoof, and burped the case up, neatly polished free of every last crumb.

"That's....impressive." Discord had to admit. Pinkie Pie bowed, but watched Sombra from the corner of her eye.

He tilted the cake this way and that before glancing about, and, case removed, taking a bite. He chewed it hesitantly, then swallowed, something sparking in his eyes.

"Yummy, huh?" Pinkie Pie grinned.

He nodded, studying the remainder of it. It tasted nice, he'd never seen anything like it.

“Never seen a cake before?” Discord asked, watching Sombra's intense stare. Sombra shook his head, then pointed at the cake.

“Ah, cake like THAT! True, they have gotten more fun in this time!” Discord nodded.

“Why wont he talk?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I'm not sure. He hasn’t been able to speak a word since this morning when I checked on him.” Discord told her.

The group looked worried, wondering how bad it’d been.

Sombra finished the cake, and looked a little less pale.

"Can we talk to you? I mean, you can just shake your head if you can't talk." Twilight Sparkle got the nerve to ask Sombra. He looked scared again for a moment, but after several long seconds, he nodded. He just had to respond/nod to what he could recall, right?

“I did some research with Princess Celestia, and I think I found out something,” she looked at Sombra “Do the words “Umbrum ad Infinitum” mean anything?”

Hearing those words, Sombra felt panic surge up to overwhelm him. He thought he could cope, but the words the little Alicorn had uttered struck a chord, resonating with last nights nightmares. The fear they'd have no use for him once they got what they wanted….

Did answering her mean his time awake...alive, would be cut short?

--Isn’t that what’s best...that I…..die?-- despite the still present desire being at the forefront of his mind, a tiny fragment was there, wishing to live...the conflicting emotions hurt, and his stomach churned. He felt a disgusting taste rising in his throat. He doubled over, the intense pain hitting like a kick to the gut.

He pressed a hoof to his mouth as the urge to cough clawed at his throat, and he couldn’t keep it back. He bit the inside of his cheek, in an effort to stop the nausea. It worked, but when the taste of blood hit the back of his throat-

The whole group gasped in horror as Sombra began coughing heavily...and blood dripped down the hoof pressed to his mouth and onto the grass beneath his hooves.

“Sweet 'Tia on a pogo-stick!” Discord blurted, shooting over there, pulling the hoof away from Sombra's face. Seeing crimson streaking the pony’s hoof, feeling how badly he was shaking. The sight of the blood seemed to alarm Sombra too, undoubtedly reminding him of the bad days.

He sat in front of Sombra, trying to get the stallions attention “come on man, breathe!”

At last Sombra was able to make a ragged gasping sound, and stopped just short of blacking out from lack of air.

“What's wrong?!” Fluttershy teared up “tell us! Please?”

But the stallion shook his head, and Discord seen a pleading look in his eyes. He put two and two together with what he'd heard Sombra's ghostly vision say and realised the root of the problem;

“You’re afraid, aren’t you?” he asked Sombra, “that once we get what we want from you, that’s it. Game over.” he stared the pony straight in the eye, lowering his voice so only Sombra could hear him;

“Remember? These girls can be friends if you let them.” this echoed deep inside, with the words Discord had woven into the spell the first time he'd used it on Sombra.

Sombra's desperate panic faltered a moment as he realised what Discord had said. The vague sensation he'd been told this before did slowly filter through the barriers. He looked from the Draconequus talking to him, to the ground, then at last nodded. Discord let him go, and Sombra relaxed a fraction.

“We're not like that!” Twilight Sparkle said softly, setting the book down “I’m sorry if I scared you!” she looked genuinely saddened, ears drooped.

“Yeah, were not bullies!” Rainbow Dash blustered, realising she'd been a bit harsh so far. She'd been reluctant to trust him, but seeing how literally scared he was of them, she felt kind of bad now.

“Honest truth, we just wanna stop tha nutball that put ya through the wringer in the first place!” Applejack said in her trademark fashion.

“Please don’t be sad,” Pinkie Pie looked up Sombra “you don’t have to be, not any more.”

“I promise we wont hurt you.” Twilight Sparkle began-

“WE, promise..” Rarity added. The girls all nodded, gathered beside Twilight Sparkle. Discord made a foam hand in the shape of a thumbs up appear on one hand.

“Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes!” Pinkie Pie recited her favourite oath, and the others mimicked her actions, ending with a hoof placed over one eye. Pinkie Pie even held up a cake, eyebrows raised.

“And I got a cake ready! I'll do it!”

“She will!” Discord said to Sombra, was taking all this in with a smidgen of hope. “Not kidding, she's nutty as I am!” he poked Pinkie Pie in the tummy with the foam hand and she giggled, rolling into a ball.

“And nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise and survives!” Rainbow Dash added, looking at Sombra “seriously dude, you don’t mess with Pinkie Pie!”

Discord snapped his fingers and made a glass of water appear. He coaxed Sombra to drink it, and magiced away any traces of blood. He suggested they fetch a doctor, but Sombra shook his head, trying to indicate what’d caused the blood, and Discord at last understood.

“Do we need a doctor?” Fluttershy asked, and Discord assured her it was OK, explained what’d happened.

Sombra took a deep breath, and Discord heard him make a few faltering sounds before at last he broke the mental barrier and spoke:

"Umbrum ad Infinitum. Where did you hear that?!" he croaked, voice pained. Rarity was reminded of an old record, scratchy but still audible.

"It was in a book, I couldn’t understand all of it. Do you know what it means?"

Sombra stared at her, deep red eyes showing genuine discomfort and fear and several seconds passed before he was able to speak again. It was a fight to get his vocal chords to obey, and he felt tired from the effort.

"I understand it means "the infinite shadow" Sombra shivered "but I...I don't recall..."

Twilight Sparkle nodded "it's what Scorpan was after from you."

A nod, and they could hear how exhausted Sombra was "I cant remember my own kind. I don’t even know how I came to be..."

"Uh...biology?" Rainbow Dash joked. Fluttershy blushed instantly. But Sombra shook his head. He tried to speak, but his throat froze up again. Twilight picked up her notebook;

"Umbrum ponies are born from powerful crystals. At their core they are an entirely different species." Twilight Sparkle read aloud, seeing Sombra wince at the reminder. “Sorry...”

"How does that work?" Applejack asked.

"Princess Celestia said the crystals are sentient," Twilight Sparkle continued, watching Sombra to see how he reacted "in times of scarcity they can create one of their number. They do not have magic in the same sense as a normal unicorn, but in this case..."

"Dark magic.." Sombra muttered "it manifested as close as it could to something that exists in this world."

"Wha..." Rarity gawked "crystals?!"

A small nod from Sombra.

Pinkie Pie noticed he wasn’t looking at them and resolved to pull stupid faces until he noticed.

Bored, Rainbow Dash seen her and started a goofy face showdown, which seemed to go unnoticed by the others until Discord spotted them and did one of his own, eyes crossed and all!

"Classy, guys.." Applejack snorted in amusement! Sombra looked up at them, but soon returned to looking at the ground. Tried to tell himself he was protecting himself by doing this, by keeping them at a distance.

"Duh, I’m awesome!" Rainbow Dash grinned.

"Scorpan wants to set his brother free, right?" Twilight Sparkle continued "from what Discord told us, Scorpan was more timid compared to Tirek.."

"He was," Discord recalled "what drove him to this-?"

"His family disowned him." Sombra's emotionless tone cut through the speculation.

"What do you mean? Why?" Rarity frowned.

Sombra returned his gaze to the grass. It was easier to pretend he was alone. He closed his eyes, trying to recall every enraged rant Scorpan had delivered while he'd been taking his rage out on his captive.

"After his brother was locked away the second time, at the hooves of ponies, he became obsessed with blaming you ALL. I think he hoped you’d be able to get the brother he knew growing up back, and when he heard Tirek was defeated twice, he lost it. Seems he was becoming too obsessed, he was stealing magic, books, anything he thought could help him. His parents threw him out of their home, and he became even more fixated..."

They all sat, transfixed by Sombra's tale;

"He'd hit a dead end on what to do...until.." he swallowed down the urge to be sick, "until an old mage centaur told him about ME. He went searching for any trace, and when he found it, he used the magic he'd stolen so far to wake me up. The rest, well...you can guess from what you saw…" he opened his eyes, telling that story had been easier in the darkness.

"Yeah, he was using y'all as a magical battery!" Applejack looked grossed out, and disgusted. “It aint right!”

Sombra looked oddly conflicted at this, as if he was pondering whether she was right or not. Applejack frowned when she spotted the brief look on his face. It was just there for a second, but look was so intense, and seemed to cause him some upset, for he slipped back into unemotional a second later.

"That sort of magical extraction is highly dangerous, the power can become unstable. Especially with dark magic, so few have ever been able to truly use it. Your being an Umbrum makes more sense now, never have I seen a case of dark magic adaptation like this..." Twilight Sparkle said, fascinated.

Sombra shivered again, and looked on the verge of collapse.

“Okayyy..” Discord raised an eyebrow “time for the doctors, I think!” he vanished away with Sombra.

"Wow...he's...kinda messed up." Rainbow Dash said at last.

"I agree darling," Rarity sighed, "this isn’t the same terrifying visage that chased us through the snow. He's..."

"Terrified." Applejack finished.

"Scorpan tortured him," Twilight Sparkle shook her head "he got it into his head Sombra could magically solve all his problems, and when he refused to surrender, he took out all his hatred for Tirek's defeat on Sombra."

“What concerns me is that look on his face.” Applejack muttered.

“Which one? He didn’t even react the whole time he was sat there!” Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

“Oh ah seen it alright. Just a second, there an' gone...”

“You mean the look that said “pretty sure I deserved it” when you said it wasn’t right?” Discord popped back into existence, making them jump.

But Applejack nodded in response to Discord's statement.

“Yes, though he doesn't realize it, he talks in his sleep.” for some reason, Discord decided not to mention the ghostly version Sombra had somehow summoned.

“When I stuck my head in to check on him, he was tossing and turning, muttering about it being only deserving or something like that. Given the manner in which he woke up shortly after, I’ll wager it was a flashback nightmare.”

“PTSD...” Twilight Sparkle said softly. Discord nodded.

“More than likely..” he sighed. “we're treading a fine line, between getting the details we require and breaking him all over again.”

Fluttershy shook her head “Nopony deserved what that monster did to him...” she whispered.

Discord ruffled her mane affectionately and she mustered a smile.

"I'm still confused.." Pinkie Pie made a funny face "how can crystals have kids?"

Twilight Sparkle sighed "I'm not sure myself..."

"And why aren’t there more like him? Why is he alone?" Pinkie Pie pondered.

"Maybe their extinct?" Twilight Sparkle suggested.

"Sombra may have known at some point-" Celestia appeared from thin air, looking worried. She'd been watching this whole situation, and had been alarmed by Sombra's fear, he wasn’t any closer to believing in them, although discord at least seemed able to calm him. That surprised her, but it was progress at least.

She shook her head to clear it and continued "I sense the trauma has caused him to shut down all but the most basic memories. I asked him why he came to the empire and he said the memories were lost to him, he can't reach them."

"If the story’s out there, Twilight will find it!" Pinkie Pie said at last, and Twilight Sparkle nodded.

"For all I hated the guy, what happened aint right!" Applejack blurted "aint nopony deservin' of that kinda beating, not that I can imagine...."

"Tirek maybe.." Rainbow Dash grumbled, then another thought occurred to her "Wait, why does he think WE'RE a threat? I mean, come on, he's practically twice our size!"

"Its because we're trying to get closer," Celestia said "imagine waking up and being thrown in a cage. You'd be scared, confused. With no way out. Even if somepony freed you, you'd come to think: "what do they want from me?"..."

"And what will they do to get it." Twilight Sparkle finished her mentors sentence worriedly.

Rainbow Dash winced as she pictured it, a shudder running from mane to tail.

Celestia nodded "Exactly. Every part of his mind is blaring alarms, warning him not to believe us, or let us help. It's funny, but I sense he's far more aware of his past mistakes than he lets on. The only time when he seemed like his former self was when I was admittedly somewhat shocked by his admitting he was an Umbrum. I may have stood there with my mouth open..."

Pinkie Pie giggled at the mental image;

""You should see your face" was all he said. But that bluster dropped right off when I took a step towards him. Whether the impact of the crystal heart resonated enough to change something in him, I do not know. But he feels different, magically speaking. I don't feel like I'm sensing the same pony as before."

"He doesn't seem as loopy-boopy as he was last time." Pinkie Pie translated.

"Maybe the crystal heart had an effect?" Fluttershy whispered "I mean, it's crystal and HE’S a crystal...maybe they communicated?"

"Wow, that's an amazing theory..." Twilight Sparkle looked at the pink maned pony with admiration "I must look into it!"

The door opened, and Spike came running over to the group, looking petrified.

"What’s the matter Spikey-wikey?" Rarity patted his head as he ran over to her.

"Y-you wont believe who I j-just saw at the medical-!" The baby dragon blurted.

"Sombra." The whole group said, and he nodded.

“I know you guys told me but...he was just sitting right there! I ran before he seen me, he's big and scary…and he's SOMBRA!”

"I understand its a shock, let me explain." Celestia began...

So Spike sat still between Rarity and Twilight Sparkle, and listened to the whole tale. He looked a little green by the end of it.

"That sounds awful..." he gulped.

Twilight Sparkle nodded "He's scared, Spike....even when we tried to set him free, he was backing into a corner to try and get away. He even went to far as to try shove me away, saying I should get out before Scorpan got back and found us all!"

"So, is he dangerous?" Spike asked.

"I don’t think so...or at least we have a rare opportunity here to get him on our side," Celestia said bluntly "I offered him a guarantee I’d help find a way for him to live in peace once we stop Scorpan. I changed my neckplate into an artefact called an oath-band."

"So THAT'S where it went!" Twilight Sparkle had been wondering all day where the pretty gem necklace was.

"What’s an oat-brand?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Celestia suppressed a chuckle "oath band my dear. It's an old practise, used in days gone by. From one to another it signified the promise was serious. The one who puts the promise spell on the band will be reminded of it day after day if they try to back out on it."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Rarity asked. Celestia shook her head.

"Only if you intend to betray a promise," she said "otherwise its used as a valuable demonstration of trust. I am confident he recollects such a thing, he seemed familiar with it. Whether he chooses to accept is up to him."

"Whoa, this is all so weird!" Spike blurted "I mean, this was the crazy guy from the Empire, now he's...freaking out?"

"Anypony can be scared Spike," Twilight Sparkle told him "nopony is immune to being hurt either. None of us would want to be alone if we were injured."

"We're hoping he can unravel Scorpan's plans before he sets them in motion..." Celestia sighed worriedly.

Discord said nothing, but once again he thought about how Sombra was ill-equipped, mentally speaking, to deal with such a demand. He needed to be assured something good could be found in him.

But how to do THAT?

Author's Note

Fnarp. :twilightoops:

Breaking Through To You

Sombra slept poorly that night, woken not just by nightmares so bad they made him ill, but by more shards of his memories. How he’d come to be at the empire, what he'd done to take over it.

Then he sensed something strange in his dream, and seen a flash of starry mane. He lashed out, pushing the invader away....

He woke feeling more strung out then ever. The doctor brought some food, and asked more questions, gauging how Sombra's health was doing. And it concerned him greatly that the pony clearly wasn’t sleeping.

He wasn’t the only one...

Luna scared the daylights out of her sister and everypony else when she appeared partway through breakfast.

"Luna? Is everything OK?" Celestia asked, noticing her sister looked haggard.

"We chanced to glimpse upon Sombra's nightmares last night. They were broadcasting on such a wide band we were naturally drawn to them. And we wished we hadn't. Soon as we entered, We were almost lost in them. So much pain and fear. Then we suddenly feel somepony push us out of the dream, shouting we should stay away for our own sake..."

"Sounds like he was trying to protect you," Twilight Sparkle frowned "but are his dreams that bad?"

Luna nodded "we are surprised he slept at all if this is what fills his head!"

Celestia thanked her sister and said she’d talk to Sombra some more.

She went up to visit him after breakfast.

He was curled up on the bed. He didn’t seem as jumpy as she walked in. She seen he had the oath band she'd made on the bed in front of him, and hoped he was a step closer to accepting it. Going by the empty plate, he at least was eating properly now.

"Your sister showed up in my nightmares." He said blankly.

"Yes, she did mention you suggested she evacuate them." Celestia commented.

"Seeing such things will drive her insane, I’d rather not have that on my hooves." He said curtly.

Celestia nodded.

"Those...visions, did tell me something." he said softly.

"What was that?" she queried.

"How I came to be at the Crystal Empire.” He stared at the bedspread, at his pale reflection in the gleaming band.

Celestia sat down, waiting for him to carry on. He looked emotionless, but she was willing to bet he was feeling swamped by everything going on.

“I was found out in the snowy wastes by a guard patrol. With no clue who I was, they brought me to the orphanage. But for the longest time I couldn't talk, perhaps wouldn't talk. When I did, the first word that popped into my head was "Sombra". So they named me that...” he shook his head, laughing.

“I spent most of my time there alone, pretty certain the other kids knew there was something odd about me. I didn't have anypony to converse with besides the orphanage director. She alone treated me kindly. When I was old enough, she offered to take me to see the crystal heart. But I had some sort of fit when I got in close contact with it. I was violently ill for days, and I became terrified of the thing."

"It hurt you..?" Celestia asked.

"Back then...yes..." Sombra shivered "eventually it became bearable, but I didn’t want to go near the thing. I began to loathe it for what it did to me." he laughed bitterly, "I was a silly foal, all I wanted to do was go to the faire and someday get a cutie mark like everypony else. But one day, after I got upset at the director for leaving her job and essentially leaving ME alone, I felt like my fate was sealed. I would be abandoned again. So I ran away into the wastes around the empire. There I found a red crystal."

"An Umbrum crystal?" Celestia was riveted by what he was telling her. He nodded.

"It told me it was my creator. My mother essentially. That i wasn’t a normal pony, I was their last hope. She also that she hoped I would be able to fulfil my destiny..."

"What was that?" She said. Sombra looked about to be sick;

"Under the empire there rests an entire legion of us, our civilization, locked away there for what reason I do not know. It was like a switch had been turned on. Suddenly I knew why I couldn’t gain a cutie mark, I wasn’t even a pony. And that the Princess had KNOWN all along, she had to have. I became so angry, I….my power overloaded. I recall the crystal shouting at me to stop, that it was too much for a young mind to handle...”

He felt a wave of dizziness hit him as he remembered what happened next;

“That’s when I changed. My childish form was discarded, I no longer desired to be a weakling that the guard could easily overpower.”

“Like an age spell?” Celestia wondered.

Sombra shook his head “how do I describe it? It felt like every bone in my body was being broken and re-shaped. Every little fracture felt like it was killing me-”

Celestia looked a bit green around the gills. She had a golden-clad hoof pressed to her mouth, pinky-purple eyes on stalks. It'd have been amusing if Sombra hadn't been feeling just the same himself.

“I was driven insane by that pain, all I could think was: get rid of that heart. I ran back to the empire, bent on getting rid of that thing. I recall the mother crystal begging me to come back, that I wasn’t ready. And...that she was...sorry?”

He shook his head, sitting himself up with a wince.

“I don’t know what she meant. All I recall is that I succeeded in trapping the heart away, and banishing the Princess. But being in direct contact with it after so long...I.." he shook his head, looking upset.

"Was that what caused you to snap?" Celestia asked. Again, he nodded.

"It went to my head, exacerbated the state I was in. I became obsessed with reviving my race as an ARMY, not living creatures who just wanted rebirth...and, well, you know the rest."

Celestia nodded.

"Where the hell do I belong?" Sombra muttered, sounding more lost then ever. "I’m not a pony, I’m not even a living being, I’m just a crystal with a mind of its own!"

"NO!" Celestia shook her head "any creature with consciousness has the right to be considered alive, Sombra. You especially. I intend to follow through with my promise if you help us." She nodded at the band.

--Me? Deserving to live?-- a faint spark flared in Sombra, and he quickly tried to snuff fit out, reminding himself of what those illusions had told him. Any hope he had wouldn’t live long, and he couldn't...he couldn’t do it.

He shook his head, voice cracking just a little "YOU may do, but once the empire's new caretakers find out, I doubt it will be long before I find an army on my tail. They will want to try me for every crime imaginable. That or simply be rid of me for good. And I would not fault them for it. Don't put yourself at odds with them by trying to help me."

"I will see to it you are left in peace," she said.

“No.” he said softly, his voice held such a finality it stopped her in her tracks. She seen one hoof brush over the band, an undeniable hope there for just a moment. Then it was as if he severed the link, as a shudder ran over his body and his hoof fell back to the bedspread, any emotion gone from his eyes.

“That is a price that should never be paid, not even by you, Princess.” he said, blank as a slate.

Celestia sighed, before reluctantly leaving him alone. She felt like she was back to square one. He was so afraid of having his hope and trust shattered he wasn’t willing to surrender it to anypony.

“Problem?” she jumped as, at the end of the hall, Discord waited. He seen the look on her face and asked “feeling OK?”

She shook her head, and gave a short explanation of what Sombra had told her. Even Discord looked queasy by the end.

“He did that to himself? No wonder he went off the deep end. That frankly sounds barbaric. Do most Umbrum do this I wonder?”

“I don’t know,” Celestia surprised Discord, her eyes shimmering faintly with sympathetic tears “but he is insistent the empire will hunt him down and either try him or kill him. The fact he isn’t a pony is only playing into this fear, as he believes he is merely an inferior copy.”

“Let ME try, you go have some coffee~” Discord glared at the door to Sombra's room “I’m going to drill some sense into his head, one way or another!”

“Don’t try anything rash-” Celestia began, and Discord dropped the tough guy routine with a huff.

“I’m merely messing with you 'Tia!” he sighed dramatically “of course, of course! I'm not going to send him batty!”

He set off towards the door “after all, I’ve seen how much damage has been done already...”

As she left, Celestia realised he was right. He'd gotten more response from Sombra than she had.

--Please, just let this hope die...I don't want it...I…-- Sombra shook his head, as he felt panic start to surge. He crushed it down, but it felt like something stabbing his chest. He couldn’t let Celestia fool him. No way would she sacrifice that much for a lifeless crystal in a pony’s guise.

At last all of this became too much, he couldn’t take it. Something clicked off in his mind, and after a sharp stabbing pain in his head that felt like it'd knocked the air from his lungs, he felt the sensations and emotions suddenly vanish, letting him breathe at last. He closed his eyes, breathing slowing at last.

“Boo!” Discord popped out of thin air at the foot of Sombra's bed.

Sombra stared blankly at him, only blinking once. Did this odd creature want something?

“Yoo-hoo..” Discord waved a hand in his face. Sombra looked at him, but there was no response there. The pony looked right THROUGH him!

“Are you aware coconuts can migrate?” he asked, concerned by this lack of anything. Nothing, not even a chuckle. Sombra merely looked away from him, staring at the bed beneath his hooves. But Discord kept trying. He even tried singing that song Celestia kept telling him NOT to sing, the one about liking large rear-ends. Nada.

At last, Discord tried to reach out and set a hand on his head, and this finally garnered a response. Barely had he brushed the pony's soft grey coat, than it became apparent there was still some shred of him in there as the stallion tensed up, growling.

“G-get away!” the words were spoken sharply, but there was a faint tremor in that near-emotionless voice. A flash of the real pony beneath the mask for a second, a pony that was frightened and hurt, but it flickered and faded, replaced by that same blankness. The stallion shut his eyes, turning his head away.

“So you are in there, Sombra...” Discord muttered. He sighed, hating to do this, but it was the only way. To break Sombra out of this trance, he would have to shock him out of it.

Since Sombra had his eyes closed, this would be a lot easier to spring on him-

And what was this grand plan of Discords?

Easy, a HUG.

That much contact would be more then the pony could handle, he would have to choose between suppressing his emotions or letting them reach a frantic peak.

Sombra thought he'd won, that this bothersome creature had left. But the next second he was surprised as something actually embraced him. For just a second he wondered at the contact, then a gut-punching jolt of panic hit his core.

As Discord had expected, Sombra flipped out.

“NO-!” the pony's body went tense “Let me go!!” he yelled franticly.

--Hah, called it!-- Discord thought smugly. But in his gloating that he'd gotten a rise out of Sombra, he forgot one thing: he was STILL holding onto him.

“Uh-oh.” he said as, sure enough, a split second later Sombra gave him a pretty powerful shove, sending him flying off the end of the bed. He nonetheless declared “gotcha!” as he flew.

Sombra sat on the bed, chest heaving, eyes wide with panic. Was this creature here to kill him?

Hope bloomed, and he stood up on the bed.

“Oof, you have quite a strong punch there...” the Draconequus shook his head to clear it, then noticed the desperate look on Sombra's face as the pony stood on the bed. The way Sombra was regarding him, like he thought if he tried it, he could meet his end at Discords hand.

-Oh crap, maybe this wasn’t so smart afterall…-- Discord thought, then suddenly decided enough was enough. Sombra needed to learn things weren’t going to end that way, that he wasn’t going to be killed or imprisoned again.

“You can wipe that look off your face! Nobody's dying today!” He lectured the stallion “Get this into that stubborn head of yours. Tia is willing to give you a second life-”

"What’s the point?" Sombra cried hoarsely at Discord as this sunk in "you think the crystal empire is going to just...let me live?! How is everypony so naive!"

"Don’t be foolish!" Discord snapped "I tried to take over Equestria too, and I got a second chance. Of course it wont be easy, but do you consider your life so worthless you'll just throw it away the way you’re trying to?”

He towered over Sombra, glaring at him coldly “do you really want to DIE?”

Sombra blinked, staring up at him. A hiccupy sound that he recognised as a final cry for help bubbled up in his throat. He clapped a hoof over his mouth, shaking his head.

Discord waited, sensing this was the crucial moment.

“Please...just help me..” at last the words tore free from the traumatized pony.

He hunched up, ears flattened as fresh tears welled up, unbidden. But this felt different. This felt like a relief from the torment of the last few days. He yelped in fright as a claw wielding a fancy linen handkerchief appeared from his peripheral vision and got rid of them.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Discord floated back, giving Sombra some room to breathe.

He conjured the customary glass of chocolate milk, and floated this over to Sombra. The pony blinked, recognising the liquid. The hypnosis occurrences of before meant he woke only with vague memories of what had transpired. More sensation then solid recollection. But this strange drink seemed so familiar…

Sure enough, it was nice. Something that felt good amongst the maelstrom of nightmares and fear.

--Works every time, nopony can resist chocolate milk!-- Discord thought smugly as Sombra finished the glass. The pony hiccuped, but his ears had perked up a little bit….

"Your head feels like its going to burst because you’re trying to fit too much in there.." the Draconequus' hand tilted Sombra's chin up so he was looking at him. "the sooner you get it all off your chest, the sooner you can sleep peacefully. Makes sense, no?"

Seeing Sombra hesitate, Discord added "I wont tell anypony any of this, well-" he trailed off.

"Celestia..." Sombra whispered.

"Tia, yes. She does need to know all this. But think of it this way- if you can tell us as much as you can, you don't have to get involved with the fighting! You can start thinking about that promise she made!"

He held up the oath band so it caught the light. Sombra looked uneasily at it, but one hoof did raise off the bed, like he was about to reach up for it.

"She will keep it?" Sombra asked, the hoof faltering.

"Its an oath spell, I should say so! Besides, my dear 'Tia's not one to fib that way. She'll sell it you straight, wont let you get away with anything. Think about it, if she didn’t hesitate to deal with you before, why would she waste time setting up an elaborate lie? If you were a danger, she'd do what was necessary. But you’re NOT.”

Sombra processed all this, still looking conflicted.

“But she will give a second chance when she sees one is deserved. After all, she gave one to me, freed me once more! I tried to turn Equestria into a land of pure chaos. I even stole Celestia's tail! Hoo boy were she and Luna mad, they used the elements to seal me in stone. Then Twilight and company whooped my butt when I escaped!"

Sombra looked up at him, seeing Discord's no nonsense expression.

“So you see, we're not that different, you and I. And If I managed to gain acceptance, what's stopping you? Really, what have you to lose? You've been here awhile, and you're not dead or imprisoned. We're the good guys!"

Sombra bit his lip, but there was no denying he longed for the stability and hope Celestia's promise held. After enduring what he had at Scorpan's hands, he understood why he'd been so feared by the crystal ponies. he'd been the king of monsters, not the Umbrum's saviour. Celestia seemed....sincere.

He sighed, and finally nodded. Cool metal pressed against his coat as Discord set the band around his neck. He flinched a little at the chill of the metal, and Discord flew back, giving him space to breathe.

"You can easily remove it if you need to, its not a confinement. Putting it on just accepts the promise..." Discord added, seeing a worried flash in Sombra's eyes.

In her office, Celestia heaved a sigh of relief.

The floodgates broke, and Sombra finally felt every last scrap of information bubble to the surface, every little detail the delusional Scorpan had revealed coming to light, along with a few observations he'd made himself, to try and distract himself from the pain. He found he couldn’t sit still, and limped back and forth by the window, so much info spilling out from his memories his head began to hurt.

"Getting that much magic he must be planning to absorb it all..b-but dark magic.." Sombra was babbling now, becoming slightly incoherent.

“Calm down...” Discord handed him another glass of chocolate milk. This stemmed the outpouring of information, and gave Sombra's aching head a rest.

He was worn out by the time he'd finished talking. His throat felt raw, and his voice trailed off into silence.

Once Sombra finished talking, Discord once more sent him to sleep, and planted a suggestion for a much nicer dream maybe...?

"Thank you, Discord.." Celestia sighed in relief as he reappeared in her office.

"Well, I think the fact he can see from what I told him that there is such a thing as a second chance helped."

"Proof.." Celestia agreed, nodding.

Discord gave a sigh, “Tell you one thing, that pony has a mean right hook!”

“Say what?” Celestia asked.

Sombra's dreams that night weren’t so bad, in fact they were about coconuts. Weird. But he woke up feeling less in agony.

He lay in bed, watching the sunlight fill the room. For a brief spate of time, he felt free, comfortable...

When Discord and Celestia showed up along with the yellow pegasus pony, he was surprised to have an extra visitor.

"Hi..." the pony squeaked "A-are you feeling better?"

This was the one Discord had spoken about. Fluttershy. He'd said she was...kind.

Sombra managed a nod, but couldn’t think what to say.

"How is your magic...?" Celestia asked. Sombra's expression went from "what's she talking about" to "OH."

"I cant reach it. I don't understand why." he shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye he seen Celestia frown, the yellow pegasus looked sad, and Discord looked puzzled.

"You have no access to it? Or are you simply empty? Funny though..." Discord frowned thoughtfully "even after sustaining injuries like these, your magic should've replenished a little?"

"I tried!" Sombra closed his eyes and shook his head "It wont work. Not at all. Whatever Scorpan did, I think it scrambled it-"

"-I’m sure we can find a way!" Celestia cut him off, trying to be reassuring.

"Y-yes!" Fluttershy nodded "I'll ask Twilight!"

"I wouldn’t," Sombra sighed, staring at the bedspread "it's safest it doesn’t come back."

Fluttershy frowned sadly.

"Whys that?" Discord asked, watching Flutters.

"Why do you think?!" Sombra snapped, making them all raise their eyebrows "if it comes back, it’ll require a suppressor, otherwise- well, I don’t doubt you’ve kept it a secret I’m here?"

"That’s true.." Celestia began, and Sombra nodded.

"You wouldn’t be able to contain the panic that'll start if anypony outside these walls finds out. Add in I have my magic back, and you’ll have a mob on your hooves. No," He sat up, wincing as his leg ached, and glanced out of the window "I don’t want it to come back." the way he said it was so final, they all fell silent.

Sombra gave a weary sigh as they left. It hurt to say, but he knew Celestia couldn’t seriously protect him THAT much? She was risking too much of her precious power betting on keeping Sombra safe as it was. Offering him a HOME was enough trouble for her, he just knew it.

"Question?" A voice spoke up by his ear "who were you fooling with that line?"

"EYAAGH!" Sombra let out a terrified yell, and nearly fell off the side of the bed, but the next second an arm snagged around his back, stopping him from falling. He tensed up, the contact sending familair jolts of panic down his body. Why was he afraid of this?

“L-let me go!” he gasped, voice a strangled cry. But the arm didn’t drop him, just kept hold of him.

"The only contact you’ve had so far has been abuse. THAT'S why you're scared." Discord said this is a matter of fact manner. He had to wonder at the way Sombra had gone tenser then a wooden board, staring at the arm bracing him like it might bite. Out of curiosity he placed his other paw on Sombra's chest, and cocked an eyebrow;

“Good sanity, your hearts going like a jack-hammer! Calm down before you explode or something. I'd rather you didn’t….” he poked Sombra's nose so the freaked out pony went cross-eyed “I just bathed!”

"P-put me down..." Sombra said calmly, although he felt less than. Also, embarrassed at being caught out by Discord.

"YOU, silly Sombra, need to learn to trust more. Hm, I have an idea!" Discords chaotic side snuck out again and he grinned, teleporting them both in a bright flash of light. Sombra blinked, the glow fading, and realised Discord was still keeping a hold of him, only now they were up on one of the highest towers, leaning out over a sheer drop.

"Unhand me you insane creature!" Sombra bellowed.

"Eesh, loud!" Discord grumbled.

He grinned at the pony, they were practically nose to nose.

"Cmon, it's bracing up here! Fresh air, birds, what more do you want?"

Sombra was giving him such an evil look, it made Discord chuckle.

"Fine, close your eyes, and I’ll let you go. You're not going to fall by way, I just hid the railing..."

"Oh of course, so you can initiate further jokes at my expense?!" Sombra snarled back.

"Well you'll just have to trust me wont you? Otherwise you're not going anywhere!" Discord grinned, making Sombra's temper spike.

Fuming beyond belief, Sombra realised he had no choice, and part of him refused to be subject to Discord's jokes. He reluctantly shut his eyes as told. The sense of perspective shifted, so he was at least sat upright. He was aware the sheer fall to the ground below was right behind him?

He was no longer aware of anything holding onto his body, and assumed Discord had kept to his promise.

What if he...?

--You could if you wanted to so badly..-- a voice that sounded like his tormentor whispered in his head. Sombra leant back just a little, felt the railings pressing into his lower back. Just a little further...

--DON'T!!-- a voice that he recognised as his own, cried out inside his head --you don't want this...there’s still a chance!--

He hadn’t heard thoughts like these since before the takeover. He'd lost his mind, become obsessed with resurrecting an army to take on the Princesses with!

--Imagine a home, in the wastes or the woods....by yourself...you could just..rest.-- the same voice begged.

He realised he'd...like that. If he could help Celestia defeat Scorpan, could he find somewhere to live in peace? Would the empire's rulers leave him in peace?

--You don’t have to go near them. Sign an oath of your own, if you wish...-- the hopeful voice begged --just don’t give up, there's a lot for you to do still.--

The only sound he could hear was his heartbeat, and feeling the wind tugging his mane.

He finally felt able to breathe again, uttering a shaken sigh of relief.

"Finally made your choice hm?" Discords voice filtered through and Sombra snapped back to his senses with a gasp. He stared at him, baffled beyond belief.

"Wha..." he began, but cut off, only shaking his head slightly.

"Its a start!" Discord declared.

Sombra took a look at the tower they were stood on, noticing it offered a stunning view of Canterlot.

"Look at it.." he heard himself murmur. Entranced by this never before seen view.

"What, Canterlot? Oh sure, its nice enough!" Discord said, shrugging "oh wait, you never set hoof outside of the Empire, did you?"

"Never..." Sombra said "Technically I was born, if the same concept applies to Umbrum's, out in the hostile wastes."

"Yes I heard Celestia mention that. Hard to believe you're a crystal. You look like a normal pony, albeit built like a tank..."

"Normal..?" Sombra laughed "I wouldn’t know what that is. It's jarring, really..."

"What’s weird about it? You live, you breathe, you think...on occasion-" he cut off as Sombra gave him a pissed glare "-kidding. But seriously, you fill all the check boxes a living creature does. one of which is self preservation.." he hinted at Sombra's choice not to let himself fall, rather continue living.

Sombra still felt uneasy about the future after this fight was over. he fell silent once more, the fear weighing on his mind. But without realising he raised one hoof to rest it against the necklace Celestia had placed the oath spell on.

--So, he's starting to trust us now...-- Discord was surprised by the fact he'd gotten involved. it'd started out as a favour to Fluttershy, who asked him to lend them a paw, she'd be very grateful...

He hadn’t been able to resist that smile, and had ended up listening to the discussions about Sombra. He knew how it felt, dealing with out of the blue waking back up after a long period of imprisonment. the world was different, strange. And so many had reacted in fear to his being alive again, it'd made him angry.

But then Fluttershy had stood up for him, declared she was his friend. And...he'd nearly blown it, with the Tirek incident. Now it looked like the same situation was occurring again, only with Tirek's crazed brother. Sombra was an unwitting pawn in this. summoned from what should've been final rest to serve as a battery and punching bag.

He thought about his former behaviour, trying to take over Equestria, and how he'd have reacted if he'd woken up in Sombra's situation.

No wonder the stallion was so lost.

"Ironic, isn’t it?" Sombra spoke, staring out over the city.

"What is?"

"All the nightmares I caused back then, now I’m the catalyst for a worse one."

"You think this is acceptable?" Discord snapped. Sombra angled his head to look at him, expression neutral.

"As i said to Celestia, I’ll never be free, the best I can hope for is peace and quiet..."

"You’ll feel different once this is over, I can guarantee it," Discord said calmly "just wait and see!"

Sombra was puzzled by the optimistic words, but nodded.

"Best get you back to your room," Discord said at last, seeing Sombra was starting to doze off standing up.

He teleported them back, and was amused by Sombra just flopping lethargically onto the bed and falling asleep in seconds.

Author's Note

Bananas. End of story.

I have no idea what im on about right now.

Crystallized

The next day, during the first daily check-up, the Doctor suggested the recovering stallion get some fresh air. Sombra nearly refused but for Celestia showing up. She offered to accompany him as she had a few questions, would he be up to answering them?

Sombra nodded, and followed her through the corridors as she talked. He answered her queries as best he could, but she noticed he seemed oddly calm, kind of emotionless. It concerned her, Discord had said he’d seemed better after their last chat.

Sombra cast fleeting glances at the ponies he passed, one thought racing around his head.

--They’re real, but me....I’m just an enhanced magical crystal...why was I created to look like one of them?--

The concept was hitting him hard. That he was just a..what WAS he? What were the Umbrum ponies anyway? His vision blurred and a spike of pain dug itself into his head. He came to a halt as they strode through an open corridor that was open to gardens on either side. Celestia, hearing him making a snarling sound, turned back to see what was wrong.

"What’s the matter?" she asked.

"I-i don’t know.." he whispered.

He sat down, vision going in and out of focus. They were alone, Celestia having opted not to have a guard. She was taking the chance Sombra wasn’t going to snap back to his old self. The oath-band glimmered from its place around Sombra's neck, and she knew he was putting what little faith he had in her promise.

"We need to get you to the Doctor." she said firmly. But when Sombra tried to stand, his confused red eyes widened in panic.

"I cant move-!" he blurted. Celestia frowned, what was happening? He abruptly cried out and hunched over, chest hurting so badly, a painful stabbing in his back...

Celestia's jaw dropped as she seen sparks of magic dart over Sombra's coat. And from his forelegs, starting at the bottom of his hooves, he began changing into a crystalline form. It began to spread rapidly, but it wasn’t like a crystal pony’s coat, this was literal crystal!

Sombra's eyes opened, and when he seen what was happening, he flat out panicked.

"Please, do something!" He cried desperately.

"I don't know what’s happening..." Celestia shook her head, what COULD she do? "I’ve never seen this before!"

Sombra could hardly breathe, he was so sacred, it felt like he was coming apart at the seams.

--Please, turn back!! I don’t....I’m not ready for this!-- he begged. He felt a sharp pain in his head, but this felt different.

There was a bright purple flash of light, and Celestia seen a shimmer of dark magic run down his body from horn to tail. It changed his body back to flesh and blood, and he collapsed forward. She caught him in the nick of time, looking around...

In the end she moved him to beneath a shady tree, and went looking for somepony to help her…

Barely had she taken three steps then the doors she was heading towards were flung open and a bright blur of pink came bouncing out.

“Hi hi Princess Celestia!” she called.

“Pinkie Pie,” Celestia smiled “Perfect timing. All of you...” as the rest filed in behind “I need you to just stay with him briefly while I fetch the Doctor and some food. I'll get some tea and cakes too.”

Craning past her, the six realised who she was referring to.

“Aww, he's taking a nap!” Pinkie Pie giggled “he doesn’t look that scary asleep!”

Celestia suppressed a chuckle “I don't think passing out counts as sleeping. I’d coaxed him outside when he seemed to suffer a loss of balance and collapsed shortly after. Its probably nothing serious, but I’d like the Doctor to check on him regardless.”

“Okie dokie wokie!” Pinkie Pie nodded. So she and the others settled nearby to keep an eye on Sombra...

When Sombra at last awoke, his head hurt a little, but it felt better. The last thing he recalled was...

"Celestia?" he said thickly, head muggy.

"Nope!" A cheerful voice startled him and he sat bolt upright, which made his vision blur.

"Oopsie..sorry!" a blurry pink shape apologised. She used her hooves to steady him. He initially tensed up, then recalled Discord's little prank the day prior. He relaxed and Pinkie let him go.

“Hoofsies,” she realised “Hoofsies okay now?”

He hadn't yelled at her like Celestia had suggested he might. He blinked at her a moment, before nodding. He looked a little nervous, but he wasn’t franticly backing away like last time.

“They’re...fine.” he said shortly.

She reached up and actually patted his nose, sticking her tongue out in the process. He was surprised that he didn’t mind, even though it still sent minor shivers down his spine, he didn't feel as threatened as the first days.

“See?” she giggled “Pinkie's safe!”

"Where's-?" he began, shaking his head to clear it as she set her hoof down. He winced as this made his head pound heavily.

“Princess Celestia? She went to get us all some cake and tea." Pinkie beamed "she told us to keep an eye on you!"

Sombra hit on the word "US", and only now glanced up. The other five were standing several feet away, expressions mixed between concern and curiosity.

Rainbow was silently applauding Pinkie for petting Sombra's muzzle like that. She could be downright fearless at times, that pony!

“Ya feelin' OK?” Applejack had to ask “you were mutterin' in your sleep. Couldn’t be sure half of it was english, but ya sounded upset?”

Sombra tried to recall what his dreams had been about. Vague images were all that remained now. Cold floor, dank walls. A faint rattle of chains. As if reminding him, one of the now fading scars around his right foreleg itched, and he found himself glancing at it.

Applejack followed his gaze, and realised what the dream had been about.

“What was that language?” Twilight Sparkle asked, seeing Applejack floundering for a clue on what to say.

Sombra looked away from the scars “I- what was I saying?” he asked at last.

Twilight Sparkle repeated what she'd heard. Sombra tensed up, looking unsettled. More and more the language was starting to drift back to him.

“It's, that is...” he took a deep breath to keep the nausea at bay “I cant tell you how I know, but that’s the Umbrum language.”

“An entire language?” Twilight Sparkle's eyes were wide, full of such total curiosity. Her friends all groaned.

“Its something egg-head doesn’t know!” Rainbow Dash pretended to faint in horror “what do we do?”

Twilight Sparkle stuck her tongue out at Rainbow, whilst maintaining a smug look at the same time. But a second after they were both giggling fit to bust at each other.

Sombra cocked his head to one side, he didn't understand how they didn’t seem bothered by each others antics.

He shifted how he was sitting, feeling the broken leg in its brace object to the movement. It wasn’t as bad as before though.

"At any rate, ya sure sleep like a log," Applejack spoke at last "Pinkie was playing a fluglehorn and ya didn’t even twitch!"

"Not even when I did that massive burp!" Rainbow added.

"THAT could’ve woken somepony three countries away!" Rarity declared.

"I-is your head hurting?" Fluttershy asked.

"I can go fetch the Doctor?" Twilight Sparkle suggested.

Sombra shook his head "No, there’s no need. I'm fine. Thank you." the words came out in short bursts, as he scrabbled for them. He found himself talking to the grass beneath his hooves, despite how hard he tried to hide his unease. Pinkie Pie flopped onto the grass and rolled so she was in his line of sight.

“Over heeere!” she waved at him “why are you staring at the grass? Ooh, is there something cool down there?” she proceeded to roll back onto her belly and stare intently at the grass.

After a few seconds, Sombra actually became concerned she was going to burst a braincell or twenty at the rate she going. And so he hesitantly nudged her head so she was staring at Twilight Sparkle, who was closest.

“Interesting is over there.” he corrected her “your friends.”.

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie glomp-hugged her friend as if she'd only just found her again, a big grin on her face.

“Pinkie...” Twilight Sparkle chuckled at her happy-go-lucky friends antics.

Pinkie Pie's stomach gurgled, and by a silly coincidence so did Sombra's. It was pretty loud. To his credit, he did TRY to act as if it wasn't him. The illusion was shattered a millisecond after however, by Pinkie Pie declaring;

"Wow, you win!"

Sombra just coughed, staring absently at the grass.

"When did ya last eat anything?" Applejack pondered.

"Breakfast.” Sombra said at last.

“No surprise then, its almost lunch!” Applejack answered.

Right on cue Celestia trotted out from the door, followed by a cook pushing a trolley piled high with cakes and pots of tea. The Doctor wasn’t far behind. He sat with Sombra while the cook began to lay everything out on a big blanket.

Sombra told him he was fine, he'd just felt dizzy. Celestia had mentioned to the Doctor that Sombra's magic had briefly shown up, and as per his training he requested the unicorn try to demonstrate it. He set his case down and asked Sombra to try lift it.

Pinkie Pie bounded over to ask if Sombra was going to join them and have cake. She inadvertently startled the pony, who was struggling to marshal his magic, and instead of moving the bag, Sombra moved himself! A rapid fire teleport spell went off, and he found himself about twenty feet away.

“Whoopsie?” Pinkie Pie said sheepishly to the Doctor, who frowned at her.

Sombra shut his eyes, shaking his head, yelling inwardly at his magic and ordering it to recede. The magical aura sputtered and dropped, and when he opened them, his eyes were back to normal.

“Well, I can safely say its working, although it seems a bit on the fritz.” the Doctor looked at Celestia, eyebrows raised as if to ask “what now? This is dark magic”.

Sombra caught the glance and his heart wrenched. Of course, he couldn’t be allowed to keep it…

Any feelings of relief he instinctively had about his magic he quickly quashed, preparing himself for what was to come. He took a deep breath, awaiting the inevitable.

“That’s fine then,” Celestia said “if it has come back at all that’s good. It'll straighten itself out in time. We've all had days like that. That is all.”

Sombra stared in shock, that wasnt what he was expecting at ALL.

“But, Princess-!” the Doctor was confused, this was SOMBRA she was talking about. He'd done the tests out of concern for the patients health, because his training demanded it. But Sombra having his magic couldn’t be safe, surely? “Surely you should-”

“I said it's in hoof.” Celestia stared daggers at the Doctor. Sombra sighed, and when he spoke, that same monotone inflection was back in his voice. Both looked over at him as he spoke.

“He has a point. And It would be pointless for me to try and suppress it myself. My own magic will only undo any bonds I try and create.”

Celestia closed her eyes and when she opened them, they bore the same glow as Sombra's “I am a recognised practitioner of dark magic in aid of this empire. Are you saying I don't know what I’m talking about?” she raised an eyebrow at the Doctor.

“O-of course not your majesty-!” the Doctor blurted, shamefaced.

“Good. I don’t want to hear any more discussion on the matter.” Celestia dismissed him, and he hurriedly scuttled away.

Sombra felt a worried pang. She was putting herself in too much danger-

He jumped when he realised she'd walked over and now stood in front of him, her expression reassuring. She spoke softly;

“You don't need to be alarmed, I will not see barbaric magic suppressors used on you.”

“Maybe you should-” Sombra said, worry rearing its head “What if it's permanently unstable? You seen how it reacted just now. I'd RATHER suppress it now than later, Princess.”

“Give it time,” she said kindly “let yourself feel safe for today at least."

He seen the identical glow in her eyes, the same green and purple as his magic.

“You only just got it back, it’ll naturally be all over the place. It'll settle in once its back to normal. Now,” she nodded at the blanket and food “the Doctor recommended you up your intake of sugar, seems your levels are far lower then they should be. Why don't you come sit with us?”

"Its best I don’t..." Sombra began, but Twilight Sparkle wandered back over, offering a smile;

"I'd like to talk a little more, if that’s OK.." she smiled, showing him a book on legends of Equestria.

The others watched in curiosity as both Celestia and Twilight Sparkle coaxed the bigger pony into following them to the blanket.

Sombra didn’t eat much, but he did eat a cake Pinkie Pie nudged towards him, which made the pink pony smile. She viewed it as anypony that could enjoy cake couldn't be all bad!

As they ate, Twilight Sparkle showed Sombra a variety of books. Celestia watched as they appeared to be studying a page on magical rituals.

Sombra reached one page and abruptly angled his head away from it, going white as a sheet.

"What is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked "wait, is this-?”

"Those markings, t-they were on the ground when I woke up there." Sombra shuddered in disgust at the memory, flashbacks of the arcane markings rushing through his head.

"This is some nasty magic," Twilight Sparkle quickly flipped the page "it requires a LOT of power."

"He had all these amulets scattered about. I suspect he's using those same ones to store MY magic."

"Ooh, one second!" Twilight Sparkle teleported inside, and returned with a massive volume. She rifled through the pages, until she came to a section on magical amulets.

"Any of these familiar?" she asked hopefully.

Sombra turned the pages, an uneasy look on his face. One that he indicated made Twilight raise an eyebrow.

"Those are extremely rare, but they’re known to boost the power of what they contain!"

"Not good." Applejack winced.

"What is he planning to do with that much power? I mean, if he wanted to, he could’ve used a hypnosis spell. Why go to all the trouble of forcefully extracting the magic?" Twilight Sparkle pondered. Sombra could only shake his head, he couldn’t answer that.

"Scorpan isn’t the type that likes to share is why!" Discords voice popped out of nowhere, as he appeared behind Twilight Sparkle and Sombra, slinging his arms around the two. Twilight Sparkle glowered and Sombra twitched.

Celestia noticed, however, that he didn’t panic and shove the Draconequus away. She hadn’t seen the scene with Pinkie Pie, so she was relieved to see Sombra seemed to be allowing contact again.

"He knows YOU-" Discord tweaked one of Sombra's ears "have enough power to kick him to the curb if you were given the opportunity. He didn’t want to have to share the "glory" with anybody once his brother is back. Add to that the fact he can boast he utilized one of Equestria's greatest former tyrants to get his way, and he's banking Tirek will be proud!"

Sombra sighed subtly, and was surprised when his ear was tweaked again, but this time more...apologetically? He hadn’t a clue.

But he shoved the reminder of what he'd been through aside, and tried to think back.

"He always said he was weak, that Tirek called him that constantly..." Sombra's expression went distant, as the scrap of memory pieced itself together.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked "was he a bully?"

"Of course he was, it's Tirek!" Rainbow Dash growled "the guys a jerk! They've ALL been jerks or jerkettes-”

Applejack elbowed her in the gut, cutting her off, making an exaggerated face.

“Oh...” Rainbow Dash coughed “uhh, my bad?”

“No, I’m pretty sure the “bad” was on my account.” Sombra muttered.

--Not getting it is he?-- Rainbow Dash thought to herself.

“I remember Tirek talking about his brother as if he was worthless...” Discord caught Sombra's attention again, and the pony nodded.

“Indeed. He often raved about how he'd have his brothers love and respect if he pulled this off. Tirek always said he was too pathetic, too childish, and Scorpan wanted to SHOW him he wasn’t." Sombra shook his head "I got the feeling he wanted his brothers admiration more than anything."

"And he's willing to destroy Equestria to get it? Is he nutso?" Pinkie Pie blurted "that’s noodle doodle!"

"Everypony wants acceptance of some kind, some just feel like they'll never get it." Sombra's solemn words got their attention "and Scorpan feels if he can prove he's on his brothers level, he may get what he wants."

"When Tirek will likely just steal whatever power he's gained and dispose of him," Discord grumbled, scowling at the not so distant memory "reminds me of that amulet!"

"Yes, I remember..." Twilight Sparkle wondered if Discord was ever going to let her and Sombra go.

The Draconequus had a weird way of displaying any sort of amusement or affection, usually way OTT. But at least he wasn’t pranking them. Hugs were the lesser of two evils with Discord, she thought, rolling her eyes.

"It was the final key to unlocking the chest!" Rarity nodded "so something bad became something good!"

"It can happen!" Applejack said nonchalantly, but when the others weren’t looking, she shot a quick nod to the ebony-maned unicorn, who seemed to brighten a little, just a smidge.

Sombra and Twilight were finally released as Fluttershy offered Discord some cake, and he gleefully shot over to sit between her and Pinkie Pie, who gave him a smile. With a snap of his fingers he put the pegasus' mane into a pretty braid complete with flowers.

"Ooh," Rarity cooed "I have an idea for a new spring line!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and snorted, so Discord changed her mane into a punk rocker do. Once she seen herself though, Rainbow had to admit she was actually pretty impressed!

When it was revealed they'd run of of tea, Discord snapped his fingers and made enough glasses complete with pink mini rain-clouds appear in front of everypony.

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie whooped, poking her tongue out in concentration as the glass filled, then chugging it down in seconds.

Sombra felt an urge to smile as he seen the cloud fill the glass. He was really starting to like this stuff.

He was unable to suppress an amused snort when he spotted Pinkie Pie dispensing with the glass completely and just sitting with her head tilted back, going "ahh", while the mini rain-cloud did its job.

Rarity insisted on using a straw, not wanting to get it on her coat. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were drinking as fast as they could, trying to see who was fastest, although they kept laughing between rounds.

Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle managed to remain a bit more demure. Even Celestia happily tossed back a glass or three.

"Good stuff!" she declared. Sombra, mid way through glass three, nodded.

"It is very nice." he said in a soft rumbling voice.

"Nobody can resist chocolate!" Discord snickered "makes everything better!"

"Hey Princess Celestia, I found those comics you told me about-" Twilight’s little dragon Spike came barrelling out the door, a huge stack of comics in his arms. He couldn’t entirely see where he was going, and tripped up a second later. Twilight Sparkle caught HIM, and Sombra reacted in time to catch the stack of comics. He just managed to set them down before his magic sputtered and hid away again, and he sighed irritably.

Spike sighed in relief, then noticed the mini rain-clouds.

"What’s going on-AHH!" He jumped out of his skin when he seen Sombra, and hid behind the stack of comics.

"Spike!" Twilight Sparkle frowned, "be nice!"

"I don’t wanna!" Spike had convinced himself Sombra wouldn’t scare him, but after coming so close to the tyrant whilst escaping with the Heart, he was still a little leery.

“I'm returning to bed.” Sombra hurriedly made up the first thing that popped into his head, this was starting to feel overwhelming. So he started to stride away when something wrapped around his middle and stopped his escape by lifting him off the ground.

“What the--?!” He glowered at Discord, who smirked, having used his tail to stop Sombra's escape.

"I see you found them, Spike!” Celestia broke the silence by smiling at the little dragon "I knew I still had a stack of those comics somewhere in my storage room!"

"These are first editions, that's so awesome!" Spike momentarily forgot about Sombra, and peeked round the stack of comics at Celestia.

"Well you are welcome to keep them, I have read them many times!” She beamed.

"Wow, thanks!" Spike grinned "that’s the coolest thing ever your highness!"

During this, Sombra was glaring at Discord, who still had that smug look.

“Put me down!” he insisted.

“So you can run off?” the Draconequus tutted, Sombra's expression was priceless “silly Sombra, you’ll do yourself no good that way!”

“What’re you going to do, stand here all day?” Sombra shot back. Discord pondered this, and while he did, Sombra closed his eyes, trying to dredge up a small spark-

Bzap. Discord got a tiny shock, enough that it tickled considerably. With a snort of laughter he involuntarily released Sombra, and the poor stallion did a not-so-elegant faceplant into the grass.

“I win!” he declared snarkily, voice muffled.

“Smartass.” Discord folded his arms “that's cheating!”

“Not my doing, it's all over the place!” Sombra fibbed smoothly as he sat up, dusting himself off.

They were interrupted by a loud snigger and ensuing giggling. Both looked at Spike, who was clutching his sides laughing.

“Man, that’s hilarious!” he laughed.

“What can I say, I’m a natural!” Discord did an elegant bow. During which Sombra zoomed off. So by the time Discord realised the unicorn had done a runner, Sombra was at the door.

It would’ve ended there, save for Spike having dropped one of his comics. Sombra nearly trod on it, just stopping in time. He floated it up with a smidge of magic, and examined the thing. Colourful images of ponies in costumes filled its pages.

Shrugging, he floated it over and deposited it by Spike.

“I believe this is your, well, I don't know what THAT is.” Sombra finished, turning once more to go back inside.

“You don't know what a comic is?" Spike's nerves were overridden by his fanboy outrage Sombra didn’t know what a comic was. It made him feel a bit more brave, knowing he knew something this supposedly all powerful pony didn’t.

"Bit before my time, these..." Sombra muttered, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion. Spike rolled his eyes like he thought Sombra was a doofus;

"Here!" He pulled a comic from the stack and trotted over to where Sombra stood "these are the power ponies..."

He launched into a description of the entire lore of the comic. Sombra stood there, listening intently it seemed. Spike became more animated as he got into his stride, and the gang smiled. Funny how Spike didn't seem so afraid of Sombra while he was explaining his favourite comics to him.

"See? It's the coolest thing! We even ended up in one once!"

"...?" Sombra looked confused.

"One of Spike's comics turned out to be enchanted," Twilight explained "we all ended up playing the power ponies and their assistant!” she beamed proudly at Spike.

"We kicked butt!" Spike declared proudly.

"Sounds interesting." Sombra said softly, but he seemed fairly fascinated by the comic Spike had been showing him, flipping through the pages, "curious.." he added.

Spike looked pleased, then seemed to realise who he was talking to, and was momentarily confused.

Sombra looked at him, but there was none of the former fury and malice Spike had seen before. All the little dragon seen was a wary expression of trust and a flicker of nerves. Twilight had said he’d been hurt so badly he'd almost been broken by it.

“Keep it,” Spike said “it'll make more sense if you read it end to end.”

“O-oh, I see. Sombra looked surprised by the offer, “it does look exceedingly interesting, such colourful artistry. Thank you, little dragon-?”

“Spike!” the little guy offered.

“Spike.” Sombra nodded, assimilating this knowledge. A wave of dizziness swept over him a moment after, and he suddenly swayed on his hooves.

“You OK?” Spike asked.

Celestia noticed this too, and asked was he alright?

"Yes, I...I just need some sleep.." Sombra said softly with a thinly disguised yawn.

Celestia walked back with him to his room, leaving Spike with the others.

"That was weird." Spike said.

"See Spike?" Twilight ruffled his spines "he's just as startled by kindness as you were by seeing him again!"

"He seems polite enough. He's certainly far more well spoken than I recall." Rarity said. "He’s been helping us figure out what happened with Scorpan."

"So he’s not crazy any more?" Spike asked.

"He seems sane enough to me," Discord shrugged "I think the shock of what happened has cleared out a few cobwebs."

"Give him a little chance, OK darling?" Rarity smiled at Spike, who sighed happily and willingly agreed. Rarity was the best!

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"OK, Casanova?" She teased, tickling him and making him burst into fresh giggles.

After dinner that evening, Sombra was curled up on his bed when he heard a knock at the door.

“Who..?” he asked. The guard opened the door, and Spike trotted in.

“Uh, hi!” He managed “look, I found the next three issues. I've read them loads of times, so you can keep them with you if you want!” He approached the bed and held up the comics.

Sombra's expression of surprise echoed what Twilight had said to Spike about Sombra seeming unused to acts of honest kindness.

“That would be vastly appreciated.” he smiled as Spike set them on the bed. The baby dragon nodded, before ambling back over to the door.

“Thank you.” Sombra's words reached him as he was halfway out of it “for this.”

Spike nodded, he was surprised by how normal Sombra seemed. Like any normal pony who'd had a scary time, he seemed to have been cheered up a little by Spikes gift.

Spike trotted back to where the others were, feeling a little less conflicted about seeing Sombra again.

After another check-up, Sombra was left to sleep peacefully. Well, as peaceful as his fearful dreams would allow.

He was woken some hours into the morning, crying out in panic. He'd felt something terrible heading towards him, something indescribable, then it hit and-

He awoke with a warning echoing in his head that it was almost time-!

A sparkling light in the dark caught his attention and he felt his stomach sink. That crystalline change was back. It began to creep up his body, and that splitting pain in his back had returned.

"No, no, please stop," he pleaded with it "I don't understand-!"

It crept up his chest now, his entire lower body crystallized.

The guard posted outside heard him cry out and tried to open the door, but something was pinning it shut. He was trying to force the door when Discord popped out of nowhere; the sensation Sombra's off-kilter magic generated was like a bucket of ice water being dumped on him.

"Allow me~" he said simply. He teleported inside, and his jaw dropped.

Sombra was literally changing into crystal. Was this part of an Umbrum's power?

But Sombra was terrified of it, that was obvious. From the way he begged and pleaded with his own magic to please change him back, to the scared tears that caught the moonlight streaming in the window, as they fell to splash on his crystal hooves.

"What’re you doing?" Discord asked, plonking himself on the bed in front of Sombra. The pony looked up at him, desperation showing in his eyes.

"I don’t know..." he croaked "what’s it doing to me?!"

"It looks like its trying to alter your base form-"

"Then how do I make it stop! I cant do this!" Sombra cried "I..."

He shook his head, looking down at his forelegs as the crystal began to encroach on them too.

"I’m not ready to do this." he whispered, shutting his eyes.

--What does he mean?-- Discord pondered. Then shook his head, that could be pondered later on!

"Try using your magic!" He urged the unicorn.

"I’m trying, but i-it wont.." Sombra gave a frightened yelp as it spread further "it's not working-!"

He cut off, gasping in pain "it hurts-! My back..."

"Relax already!" Discord grabbed him and shook him slightly "your freaking out won't help you! If this thing is part of your Umbrum ability, then you CAN control it man!"

He pressed one paw to Sombra's forehead, trying to use his hypnosis to snap him out of it.

"Deep breath, and relax. Close your eyes."

"But-"

"Trust me, it'll help.."

Reminded of the experiment two days prior, Sombra nodded. He squashed down the pain and shut his eyes. Darkness swirled in, and he could hear his heart pounding so loudly he felt it would deafen him…

The hypnosis kicked in, and he felt his breathing relaxing at last. Felt his panic beginning to thin out. His magic, he could reach it now.

Discord sighed in relief as Sombra's horn lit up with the familiar sigh of his dark magic. It ran down over his body in a shimmering purple wave, changing his body back to normal.

At last the crystal disappeared, and Sombra was back to his usual self. He was hunched over, breathing shallowly, ears flattened down.

Discord was about to suggest the usual fix-all of a glass of chocolate milk when he seen something on Sombra's back.

"What's..?" he shifted round to Sombra's side to get a closer look. What he seen baffled him. There were two cuts on Sombra's back, mid way down. They were bleeding heavily, as if something had tried to push its way through from the inside.

--What in Equestria...?-- Discord shook his head, he had no idea what those were!

--Wait, it couldn’t be wings could it? No, Celestia never mentioned wings AND horns being combined in any other species. Then again, the Umbrum have been gone for literally an eternity. Even she may not know what they're capable of. For all we know this could be part of the prophecy!--

“Why am I a pony? Are the rest of my kind like this? Or did it just...happen?” Sombra seemed in shock, staring at his back-to-normal form like he was afraid it may vanish again.

Both jumped as the door was flung open, and Celestia and a guard came running in. Since Sombra had calmed down they'd been able to get the door open.

"Oh thank heavens, you're alright..." Celestia sighed.

"What happened?" she asked next, then spotted the cuts on Sombra's back "what-?"

"It- that crystal, it happened again!" Sombra croaked.

"You know a little about Umbrum," Discord asked Celestia "do they normally start turning to statues?"

"Not that I’ve ever heard of, but then, even I know very little about them! Bar what Twilight's researched, little is known in general. There aren’t many texts about them."

She sent the guard to fetch the Doctor, and he soon came running, bag in tow.

The cuts required stitching, they were quite deep. Sombra sat through this, only occasionally flinching at the sensation of the needle.

With the cuts cleaned stitched and bandaged, the Doctor recommended he check it again in the morning. For now Sombra needed rest. The pony seconded this by passing out a few seconds later.

The Doctor and guard left, and Celestia and Discord were left alone with the sleeping Sombra.

"This is becoming more complicated by the minute,” Celestia murmured “What caused these?"

She looked at Discord as she spoke, who was also focusing on the bandaged cuts.

"Buck if I know!” Discord said "He was saying it hurt badly, and those cuts were on his back after he turned back to normal. Don't you think they look an awful lot like..." he gestured to her wings.

She raised one, looking at the point where the bone joined on her back, then at the cuts on Sombra.

"Impossible, but yet, not!"

"Say again?" Discord said, confused.

"I don't know what kind of hierarchy the Umbrum have, but since Sombra is a pony by form, maybe it's trying to manifest some form of power by generating wings. As he understands our species, an Alicorn is the highest position. For all we know, Umbrum society may have a similar figure, and being the only one left, Sombra's body is trying to change him to fill the role?"

"Then why is it scaring him half to witless? He was freaked out of his mind!" Discord repeated what he'd seen.

"It's possible he cannot recall his own species mannerisms. It seems he is unable to recollect much about them at present, beyond how he came to be and the incident at the Empire. Whatever this is, he's not triggering it himself. Something else is causing this, and its a mystery."

They left Sombra to sleep, urging the guard to check in on him every so often. And call her or the Doctor if he was in any pain.

“It's what Scorpan is after from him, isn’t it?” Discord guessed what was on Celestia's mind as she walked back towards her bedroom.

“I’m afraid so. I've never seen anything like it. Whatever his destiny is, it involves a great deal of power. The fate of all of us depends on who's hooves he will entrust it to.”

Author's Note

Im a Pineapple! :twilightoops:

Umbrum Ad Infinitum

Sombra got up of his own behest that morning, and the Doctor was surprised to hear Sombra wanted to take a walk.

“How is your magic?” he asked once he'd checked the injuries, satisfied they were healing nicely.

Sombra looked at the bedspread and sighed.

“Fits and starts. You'll be pleased to hear, as far as I can tell..” he shut his eyes, sighing “-I think it's permanently scrambled.”

“Well hold on a second-” the Doctor realised Sombra wasn’t as hidden in his own world as he'd thought. The big pony smiled sadly and looked out the window.

“I'll miss it, but eventually it'll fade.” he got up and headed for the door “I need some air.”

Left behind, the Doctor frowned. What he'd just seen was denial, pure and simple. Sombra missed his magic as any unicorn might. But he was preparing himself to bid it farewell regardless of Celestia's promises of help.

Sombra kept his head down as he walked along. The guards kept out of his way, but still monitored him. Eventually he wound up outside, alone, in the same spot where he'd collapsed on Celestia the first time.

He could see the six ponies he'd become aquainted with playing some sort of game, but they kept breaking out into fits of laughter. They looked so happy, so content. His chest ached, how he wished he could have a life like that. He looked out across the grounds, imagining a place of solitude like this. Maybe he could have a garden?

He became lost in his own thoughts, contemplating what a happy life would be like. A life not lived alone…

“Boo!” he jumped as he heard Discord's voice.

“Sorry..” the Draconequus chuckled. He nodded at the girls goofing about “you could go sit with them, talk to them..”

“I don’t want to interrupt.” Sombra said shortly. He felt strange, uneasy, as if this was all just an illusion destined to break. He made to leave but Pinkie Pie's super senses had her suddenly spinning round.

“Hay!” she cried, waving at them. She beckoned them over as the rest ceased giggling and sat down for a breather. Discord started across the lawn, then realised Sombra was still staying hidden in the shadow of the archway.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked. Sombra shook his head. Pinkie Pie and Applejack trotted over, and Pinkie Pie asked Discord if he could make the chocolate milk rain from the clouds again? Applejack approached the on-edge Sombra.

“Its alright Sugarcube,” she said kindly, but bluntly “we aint gonna hurt y'all. Ya suffered enough with that brute-”

Sombra opened his mouth to say he'd deserved it for what he'd done, but Applejack cut him off;

“No ifs, buts or coconuts!” she said sharply “y'all didn’t give that power to that loon. Ya told him ta get stuffed, and he hurt ya for that. Ya didn't deserve to have yer bones broken to stop you running away. Nopony should go through what y'all did. And if Celestia says she's gonna keep a promise, than by gosh she WILL!”

Sombra stared at the ground, then looking down at the neck band.

“Come sit with us, ya don't haveta say a word if ya don't wanna. Just relax, forgive yerself for today, alright? Just one day at a time. Also we got cake!”

“What say you to that?” Discord gestured to the peaceful scene ahead of them. Sunshine, cakes, laughter. Such unfamiliar things, yet he yearned for them, Discord could see it Sombra's eyes.

With what must’ve been a concerted effort, he nodded, and Applejack smiled

“Well lets get goin' then! Don’t y'all dilly dally!” She trotted back across the grass, Discord, Pinkie Pie and Sombra following behind.

“Perfect!” Rainbow Dash flew up to Sombra and Discord “we're trying to play twister but we can't keep stopping to spin the thingy.”

“Ooh, this is fun!” Discord chuckled. Sombra sat mutely and watched him telling the six who had to put what hoof or wing where. There was a mat covered with various coloured dots. He soon realised it was possibly the silliest game in existence. The aim seemed to be to dislocate as many joints as possible! And he was convinced Pinkie Pie was a rubber-being. She didn’t seem to notice she was tied up like a pretzel.

“What do you think?” Discord interrupted Sombra's puzzling “I’d say she wins!”

Pinkie Pie grinned at Sombra, she didn’t seem exhausted at all.

“Certainly seems correct.” Sombra said at last.

“Pinkie Pie wins!” Discord declared. The girls all collapsed to the mat with a groan. Pinkie Pie rolled onto the grass, uncoiling herself.

“Seriously Pinkie Pie, how do you DO that?” Twilight Sparkle stretched her wings.

“I’m naturally bendy, like a straw!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Who fancies chocolate milk?” Discord snapped his fingers and many little rain-clouds appeared.

Even Sombra seemed to perk up when handed a glass. Pinkie Pie opened the basket shed prepared and handed out cakes. She made to sneak Sombra couple of them, saying he needed the sugar boost. Sombra couldn’t deny THAT, he did like the cakes in this day and age!

Pinkie Pie began singing a song, and a memory uncurled in Sombra's head. A fun memory. Of the orphanage director teaching him, under oath he was NEVER to repeat it to the other kids, a ruder version of the song. He let out a snort of laughter and quickly clapped a hoof over his mouth.

“OK, what's so funny…?” Rainbow Dash eye-balled him.

“Nuh-,” Sombra cleared his throat “nothing.”

“You’re a crap liar, silly Sombra!” Discord tweaked his ear again, causing the pony to glower at him. “now spill!”

“Its hardly the thing that your age group should hear!” Sombra objected to the girls.

“At least tell me! I’m older than you are, give or take a thousand year imprisonment!” Discord objected.

“Oh you are SO telling us now!” Applejack grinned at Sombra. They clamoured to know what was so funny, and at last Sombra sighed.

“Fine, but don’t say I did not warn you of this. There's a second version of that song.”

“So….sing it….” Discord motioned him to do so.

So he recited it. They managed to hold out until he finished, at which point they all creased up laughing, even Fluttershy, who was a bit red faced.

“Its basically one continuous sexual innuendo.” Sombra said, red faced.

“Got a dirty mind have we?” Discord teased him.

“NO- shut up!” Sombra snapped “the director taught it to me, to make me laugh after a bad day at school...”

“Know any others?” Rainbow Dash sniggered.

“No, enough of that!” Sombra blustered.

“Aw.” Another voice spoke from behind them. Sombra turned, seeing Celestia there.

“I thought it was rather good,” she told the unicorn as she studied his flushed expression “must tell Luna that one!”

“What's up 'Tia?” Discord chuckled.

“I thought we could all have lunch in the throne room, a fresh batch of doughnuts just arrived!” she offered.

Sombra tried to slip away, but Celestia caught up to him, saying she'd like to talk to him once more.

Sombra nodded, slowly following after her. He felt tired and achy again now the laughter had faded, and the sensation things were unravelling returned, stronger this time. Like there was a nagging fear at the back of his mind but he couldn’t vocalise it.

The others noticed he seemed to have retreated into a shell of sorts when they all sat down to lunch. It seemed to take an immense effort for him to react to anything. After how he'd almost seemed to open up when they'd coerced him into reciting the song, they were confused.

As Sombra was eating, Spike came up to him.

"I found the next issue, I figured you'd want to read it!" the dragon held up a Power Ponies comic “did you read the others?”

“Yes, I did. They were very intriguing...”

"I know, its awesome.." Spike plonked down beside him as Sombra opened it.

While the big pony read, the little dragon studied him. He didn’t look as fearsome now. When Spike had first seen him, he'd been gunning for the crystal heart, eyes blazing in fury, fangs bared. Sitting here now, he looked calm, ears twitching occasionally. A faint, almost sad smile on his face. He looked a lot different when he wasn't angry.

He resembled a normal pony, Spike decided, bar the unusual horn and magic.

Sombra snickered at something in the book, and Spike asked what bit he was laughing at?

Sombra showed him the page, and spike couldn't help laughing.

"That makes me laugh every time, Filisecond is hilarious!"

"You have a favourite?" Sombra asked curiously.

"Yeah, Radiance! She’s so cool.." Spike sighed dreamily, remembering seeing Rarity in Radiance's outfit. She'd looked ever more stunning...

"I see?" Sombra raised an eyebrow, as if guessing. Spike went red, and flapped a hand at him.

"Shush, don't tell anypony!" he said softly.

"I will not mention it." Sombra promised, which made Spike relax.

Rarity gifted the dragon with a sweet smile, and Spike felt himself turn to mush again.

Sombra was starting to feel oddly drowsy, yet content, when suddenly he felt a familiar presence, one from his worst nightmares...

The sensation sent chills down his spine, and he froze up, panic clawing at his chest.

--No, no...please...not now..--

"Hey, what’s wrong?" Seeing the look of peaceful contentment wiped off Sombra's face and replaced by a look of fear alarmed Spike, who tugged at Sombra's mane, then hurriedly called for Twilight Sparkle. She and the others looked over.

"Sombra, what’s wrong?" Celestia sat in front of him, peering worriedly into his eyes.

"It's....something is coming..." he shuddered again "I don’t know what’s-"

He was cut off as faint screams echoed from far outside, then the wall behind him was wrenched away, thrown aside. This forced the ponies and Celestia to dart away lest they be crushed. Sombra however...

He tried to run, but something was holding him in place, a strange shield.

"Ah, at last! I must thank you for taking care of my pet while I was looking for him." it was Scorpan, but he’d changed.

He'd grown, his form enhanced so he now resembled his brother, only in lighter shades, and still with the wings he'd had in his previous form.

Celestia tried to charge forward, and was stopped in her tracks by Scorpan's magic. A similar red glow surrounded everypony else, lifting them into the air. Twilight Sparkle recognised dark magic. She wiggled and squirmed, trying to free herself, but to no success.

"You know, at first I was angry you’d stolen my pet, but I had enough magic to evolve, and after being pampered by you pathetic ponies, its time for him to fulfil his destiny!"

Sombra tried to wriggle free, but Scorpan shook his head. He clapped his hands together, and more arcane spell lines wrote themselves into the carpet around the pony. Chains snapped into existence around his hooves.

"What’re you doing?" Sombra gasped, as Scorpan stepped back and pulled an amulet from his bag. It was one Twilight Sparkle recognised from her book. It was filled to maximum capacity, glowing a sickening purple-reddish colour.

“This contains the most potent blend of magic’s I could get my hands on. Power of this magnitude will trigger your final evolution!”

Scorpan opened the amulet, and the power flooded out, swirling flames surrounding Sombra like a tornado, before wrapping themselves around Sombra's body, absorbing into him.

Sombra panicked and tried to pull the chains free, sheer terror making it hard to breathe...

Sombra cried out, doubled over as the massive amount of power flooded into him. He felt a stab of fear as he seen the crystallization was starting up again, spreading too rapidly for him to fight it.

"Haha...yes, that’s it, release the final form!" Scorpan cackled.

Discord and Celestia managed to exchange looks of "what?!"

The last they heard was Sombra's cry of fear and agony as the light became blinding, and it enveloped him completely.

There was an explosion of light, and the sound of chains clinking...

When the light cleared, everypony stared in shock. Sombra had taken on an entirely new appearance. As the earlier semi-complete transformations had hinted, his body was now made of semitransparent crystal. Now that it’d completed, it had taken on subtle hints of colour. His body was a pale grey, mane black with facets of red in it, and his horn was a pale red crystal. He looked a little taller, and when his eyes opened, they were still a crimson red, but with a fractal pattern in them.

With the sound of something shattering, two massive crystal wings, their tips coloured in hues of red, purple and grey, unsnapped from his back, widening to full size.

It was beautiful, nothing had been like it before. Sombra appeared to be examining this new form, tilting the wings to inspect them. He beat the air with them, but discovered he was still chained in place, and was forced to land back on his hooves. He snarled at Scorpan.

"You don’t think I’m going to let you run free just yet do you? Oh deary me, no.." Scorpan mocked. He snapped his fingers and a glowing ball of energy appeared in his palm.

"I have the final piece right here-!"

He lunged for Sombra, who tried to retreat, biting and snarling. But Scorpan's hand snapped around his neck. Scorpan laughed as Sombra screamed in pain, then let him drop. The crystal Alicorn crumpled to the carpet, a black band locked around his neck. It pulsed with the same energy that was being used to restrain the other ponies.

“Up you get, my pet!” Scorpan cackled. Sombra stood up, each movement a languid, unhurried affair. He radiated a sense of strength that was almost hypnotic. But there was nothing in his eyes, just a blank, hostile stare.

Seeing their shocked faces, Scorpan couldn’t resist showing off.

"What’s this? The great Celestia doesn’t know what this is? Well let me enlighten you all before I destroy you. THIS;" he proudly indicated Sombra "is an Umbrum ad Infinitum. The eternal crystal shadow. There exists a prophecy that states when it is time, the Umbrum will rise again, led by their KING."

He chuckled faintly "all I needed to do was resurrect him and the prophecy began anew. He's the only one left, the duty falls to him! But I had to break through a lot of mental defences to prepare him."

"You monster!" Fluttershy cried, wishing she could get free "you hurt him that way so he'd be your puppet?!"

"You catch on fast. With his mind all but shattered, persuading him to change was much easier. He was too afraid to fight it in the end. Too afraid of ME. Of what id inflicted upon him."

“You big...JERK!” Pinkie Pie screamed.

“Why is he so important to you? Wasn't he more trouble than my brother? A tyrant, a monster. He’s not even a pony like the rest of you-” Scorpan sneered, but Rarity cut him off.

“That doesn’t matter! Looks...looks aren’t everything!” Rarity seethed “Anypony can tell you THAT!”

“Yeah, so buck y'all to next Thursday!” Applejack swore. “Now let 'im go!”

“Oh how cute!” he turned to the puppet Sombra “did you hear that, little Umbrum? They actually want you to save them now. And laid bare every false promise and lie they’re prepared to state to get you to do it! But I wonder...”

He walked so he was standing beside Sombra, leaning in close “do you really think they'll be so kind once they're safe?”

“I made a promise!” Celestia cried angrily “and I’m not planning on backing out!”

Scorpan walked so he was facing the crystal Alicorn, and smirked, tapping at the necklace around Sombra's neck, the oath band Celestia had given him. It appeared to have fused to become part of Sombra's new body, a golden V-shaped band of metal, with a jewel at its centre.

"Interesting....but not a problem.." Scorpan sneered. "A little trinket, worthless!"

As he boasted, Discord distinctly seen a flicker pass over Sombra's eyes, and he held out a shred of hope.

"Now..." Scorpan walked a short distance away, and made the chains vanish. Sombra took a few steps forward, gaze fixed intently on the group of pony's locked in place in front of him.

“Dispose of them!” he laughed at the cold expression on Sombra's face as he stepped forward.

"Sombra, please..." Celestia said softly "don’t do this.."

He didn’t answer her.

"Listen!" Discord snapped "what happened to that peace and quiet you told me you wanted. You'll lose everything if you go ahead with this-"

Sombra snarled at him, but again Discord though he seen a flash in those emotionless red eyes.

Spike noticed he’d dropped his comic a few feet away when they’d all scarpered, and caught Sombra's eye.

“Hay!”

Sombra turned towards him, took a further step forward-

“Spike!” Twilight Sparkle gasped.

There was a crinkling sound. Sombra faltered, looking down. A colourful illustration featuring a pony speeding along at light speed met his gaze. This triggered something in the back of his mind. An offer of something precious, from a dragon to HIM-

Then he seemed to snap back to his masters control. But the band around his neck now sported just a small crack in it.

His gaze narrowed once more, and he took a step back, wings raised. He closed his eyes, magic swirling around his horn.

"Dispose of them NOW!" Scorpan laughed.

Sombra raised his head, the magic seeming to peak. The sheer force of it was overwhelming, the air crackling with sparks, the drapes in the room being whipped about by an unseen wind.

Spike prayed Sombra wasn’t going to be become a bad guy again. That the comic had reminded him of something GOOD.

Sombra let his power race through his body, feeling oddly FREE. He just had to destroy these meddling ponies.

Ponies that’d offered him cake, looked kindly upon him. A Princess who’d made that band to prove she would not back down. And a Draconequus that’d given him some very blunt life lessons, and given him a peaceful respite from his nightmares during the worst nights. He'd shown Sombra that deep down, the pony still wanted to live-

--I'll lose it all...if I…-- Discord's words echoed in Sombra's head now. His eyes stung, and he seen the ponies through blurred vision-

Being closest, Celestia seen his lips move, forming two words:

“Not today...”

What happened next took only a second, but seemed to play out in slow motion for those imprisoned.

Sombra opened his eyes fully, and his crimson red met Celestia's pale pink. She seen his expression soften, something almost kindly in his eyes, then he moved at an astonishing speed. Ducking low, he swirled round, and fired the massive blast at Scorpan.

His collar kicked in as soon as his mind chose a different target, but he was still able to keep his aim steady. The pain only heightened his senses….

It punched Scorpan in the gut, catching him off guard. He hit the far wall, and slumped at its base.

Sombra turned to the group, closing his eyes and using HIS magic to cut Scorpan's spell, dropping them all to the plush carpet. But the next second he stopped in his tracks, flinching as the necklace glowed ominously, trying to exert its control-

He gasped in pain, biting his lip. Blood bloomed red against his crystal façade.

Pinkie Pie's next action stunned the winded Scorpan as he got up.

So pleased was she that Sombra had chosen the good path, that she bounded up and threw her forelegs around his neck.

“Pinkie Pie-” Twilight Sparkle cried, about to warn her the control necklace might harm her, but she got a shock at what happened next.

The necklace WAS crackling, but it was with blue sparks, reminiscent of Pinkie Pie's harmony element. Not JUST that, but other colours too. THIER colours. Each girl felt a funny tingle around their necks where the elements had once rested in their golden chains. There was a flash and a loud snapping sound, and Pinkie Pie, who'd been holding onto the necklace for leverage, was deposited on her backside as it broke apart under her hoofs.

“Ooopsie!” she declared, waving it in the air like a trophy.

Sombra shook his head, expressions altering to one of confusion as he took in the ponies in front of him, all staring in shock.

“What’s-?” he looked down at himself and back-peddled, staring in shock. Then he seen the wings “What-?”

“How-?!” Scorpan roared, glaring at Pinkie Pie and firing a bolt of red lightning at her “how dare YOU?”

Sombra grabbed the stunned Pinkie Pie's tail in his teeth, and flipped her over his head so she landed on his back. Then he flew up and out of the range of the blast. The others ran back out of range, every unicorn and Alicorn charging their magic. Discord snapped his fingers, appearing behind Scorpan and tapping his shoulder. When the creature whirled round, Discord took the most direct course of action and punched him in the face. The power punch slammed Scorpan to the carpet, where he glared up at Discord.

“That's for being as big a fool as your brother!” Discord snapped “I fell for this shtick last time, and oh you’d better believe I regret it!”

He looked at Sombra “he refused you from day one, didn’t he? Well you know what? That equals respect in MY book! Even as bone headed as he no doubt was when you woke him, he still had enough decency to tell you to stuff your plan where the sun don’t shine!”

“No comment.” Celestia muttered as Pinkie Pie stifled a giggle.

“You want to take Equestria, just try it!” Discord cackled as he made a portal open under Scorpan, and one in the ceiling as well, so he was plummeting in a constant cycle.

This disoriented Scorpan for a few seconds, but then he grabbed something from his side-

A blast of energy hit Discord, throwing him across the room. Sombra caught him mid flight with his magic.

“Much obliged-” Discord said dizzily.

“You OK?” Pinkie Pie called from atop Sombra's back.

“I’m fine thank you Susan...” Discord burbled.

“Who?” Pinkie Pie squinted at him.

Sombra set him down, touching down to ground himself. Pinkie Pie patted his mane. It looked like crystal but actually felt soft.

“What sort of magic is this?” Scorpan snarled.

“Duh!” Pinkie Pie balanced on her hind legs to wave a hoof at him “tell him girls!”

“The magic of friendship!” They all chanted, gathering around Sombra.

“So suck it!” Applejack hooted.

“Yes indeed!” Rarity said proudly.

Sombra blinked at them.

“Yes, friends.” Discord recovered his senses and stood beside Sombra “we both got lucky with these guys!”

Pinkie Pie beamed at Sombra, nodding.

Scorpan lost his rag then, refusing to surrender his prize to these pastel coloured loons.

He charged up a ball of energy and shot this at the group of ponies. Sombra flung up a shield to block it, but while he dealt with that, Scorpan fired multiple shots. These careened round, attempting to bypass Sombra and strike!

The other two Alicorn's took up defensive positions, the others crowded between the three.

“Whadda we do?” Applejack blurted “where’s he getting so much power from?”

“It's what he took from ME.” Sombra said softly. “Those amulets!”

“Then were getting it back!” Rainbow Dash punched the air.

“Got an idea?” Twilight Sparkle looked at Rainbow Dash, who nodded, waving one hoof in a circular motion. Then she flew up in the air, and shot towards Scorpan. He swatted at her, but she twisted and flipped in mid air, dodging his grasp. She began to fly round and around him, soon generating a rainbow tornado. Scorpan roared at her, but couldn't grab this flying pest!

Twilight Sparkle ran out from behind Sombra's shield, teleporting into the tornado.

Sombra felt a stab of panic as she disappeared. A second later, Rainbow Dash was knocked out of orbit with a yelp. Pinkie Pie bounced up, catching her friend round the middle, only a quick tilt of Sombra's wing stopping them both from falling off.

“Whoa, those are pretty neat..” Rainbow Dash tapped the crystal wing with her hoof.

Twilight Sparkle reappeared as Scorpan finally regained his balance.

“You will PAY!” He growled, then realised something was missing;

“Looking for these?” Twilight Sparkle waved an entire foreleg strung with amulets. She'd stolen quite a few of them.

“Give me those, you wretched Princess!” he fumed. Those amulets were the key to overtaking the city. With that much power-

He charged the group, who scattered, Sombra flying up once more, still with Pinkie Pie and a winded Rainbow Dash clinging on for dear life.

Twilight Sparkle spun like a discus thrower, and the amulets soared through the air.

“Aw yeah!” Applejack jumped up, hat in her mouth, and caught them in one swipe. Without breaking stride she ducked Scorpan's claws, kicked him in the gut when he snatched at her, and threw the hat to Rarity.

Scorpan aimed at her next. Rarity shrieked, throwing the hat into the air. Fluttershy flapped about, catching the amulets strings on her wing-tips. From there she flung herself towards Sombra, tears in her eyes as she flew at maximum speed. She pressed them into his hooves, just as Scorpan lunged-

There was a massive kaboom, and a blast of purple magic. Fluttershy opened her eyes, seeing she was enveloped in a shield of swirling magic.

Sombra raised his head, as the power absorbed into HIM.

“Back where it belongs-” he said firmly. When he fired at Scorpan next, the blast of magic was massive, punching the invader out the wall and creating another hole. They could hear his screams of rage as he hit the ground below.

Sombra turned and ran, heading for the hole in the wall.

"Sombra!" He paused as Celestia called his name.. The wings twitched, folding down as he cast them a sad smile;

"This is my responsibility, I’ll stop him." his voice had a sad tone “but thank you. It's been wonderful, to have a friend or two.....”

Then he leapt out of the hole in the wall, the sunlight flashing off his crystal body as he spread the wings wide and dove towards the ground.

"What do we do now?!" Rainbow Dash blurted "this is crazy."

"He didn’t hurt us..." Fluttershy looked relieved beyond belief.

"Something in him managed to keep control.." Discord shook his head.

"Now we know what those two transformations were about before..." Celestia ran towards the doors "his body was trying to prepare him, but he wasn’t able to face it, he was still too hurt!"

They ran outside, seeing Sombra fighting Scorpan. The ponies were running about screaming. The guards were torn between gawking at the fight, and shepherding the terrified civilians away from the two behemoths.

“So you have a little extra power!” Scorpan cackled deliriously “no matter! I can still shatter that body of yours, and use the shards to carve my name into this world!”

“Not today!” Sombra hissed, feeling the powerful crystal wings carving through the air as he threw himself against Scorpan's might.

The livid gargoyle tried again and again to hit Sombra, but the Umbrum pony wasn’t an easy target!

One of Scorpan's stray bolts hit a clock tower, sending chunks of masonry tumbling down. Sombra heard a scream and dove to the ground, landing so he shielded a family of three from being hit. One of the chunks hit his wing, causing a minor crack in one of the immense crystal appendages.

"Whoa.." the kid gawked up at the big crystal pony.

"Aren’t you-?" the mother began.

Sombra didn't answer, just ushered them away, before taking off into the sky once more. He and Scorpan clashed time and again, bolts of magic crackling through the air. Sombra flew up into the glare of the sun, and fired a massive ball of magic. Closing his eyes as soon as he fired, he teleported away. While Scorpan blocked the incoming shot, Sombra appeared behind him, firing a sharp bolt of magic at Scorpan's back.

The gargoyle staggered forward, roaring in fury...

"It's like Tirek all over again!" Rarity cried.

"Let's help get everypony away from the fight!" Twilight Sparkle cried. They all nodded. Twilight Sparkle, Celestia, Rarity and Discord all teleported around, grabbing ponies and pulling them out of the danger zone.

"What is that your highness?!" one guard babbled to Celestia.

"THAT is the only one that can save us right now.." Celestia told him "Sombra!"

"Him?! THAT'S him?!" the guard stared at the crystal pony as he flew overhead, shielding against a magical bolt thrown at him by Scorpan.

"He’s an Umbrum pony, I can explain later!"

The crowds stared and pointed, eyes wide as saucers. They watched as Sombra ducked and banked to one side, a bolt of lightning narrowly missing him. The sunlight highlighted the crystal pony as he landed on a rooftop.

“Go on Sombra!” Pinkie Pie hollared, dressed in a cheerleaders garb “whoop his butt!”

“Did she just say Sombra?!” one mare shrieked “that’s not Sombra, surely? H-he was a monster, that things an Alicorn-?!”

“Look, its him.” Rainbow Dash got up in her face, frowning “he just saved our butts, now he’s trying to save yours too, so hush it up!”

“Princess?” the noble couple looked from the irate rainbow to Celestia.

“Every word she says is correct.” Celestia confirmed, as she helped escort some kids to safety.

“Told you!” Rainbow Dash boasted.

Sombra was proving more agile than he looked, banking and swooping around the massive enemy. Scorpan swung for him, but he was bigger and slightly slower, allowing Sombra to dart and dive out of his clutches. Each time he got close, he fired a volley of crystals, which tore gashes into Scorpan's new form, starting slow leaks of power. the energy bleeding out into the air like smoke.

"You pathetic wretch!" Scorpan retaliated by pulling a whip formed from glowing red energy from thin air. This whipped around Sombra's left wing, tightening around it until a fissure appeared. Sombra broke off his attack, crying out. He struggled to keep aloft as he tried to aim an attack-

Scorpan tugged the energy whip, dragging the pony towards him, and grabbing hold of him in one massive hand. He began to tighten his grip, threatening to crush the crystal pony’s body.

Amidst all this, Celestia's letter had finally reached the empire, and Cadance and Shining Armor had arrived. They’d reached the palace, after abandoning the carriage and running on hoof.

"Twily!” Twilight Sparkle turned as she heard her brother's voice, and raced over to hug him.

"BBBFF! Cadance!" she hugged her sister in law a second later.

"What’s going on?" Cadance asked, and then she noticed Sombra fighting Scorpan head to head "what is THIS?!"

"That, as it turns out, in the inheritor of the Umbrum race...." Celestia raised an eyebrow, her mane in disarray.

"The what now?" Shining Armor asked, "are you seriously saying THAT'S what Sombra was all along?"

"Yes, the Umbrum are literally crystals, but sentient and capable of magic use. I thought they were long gone...it seems Sombra was the last one left alive, the rest are sealed away beneath the empire."

This made both their jaws drop.

"There’s an entire bunch of lunatics like him under the palace?!" Shining Armor shouted.

"Wait!" Celestia shook her head "after we recovered him from Scorpan's hold, he was able to tell me what happened back then.." she sighed "it seems the crystal hearts power has a nasty effect on Umbrum's, even more so since Sombra was barely aware of what he was when he stole it. Prolonged contact with it was what caused him to snap. He was convinced he could resurrect his people as an army, against who or what I can only imagine."

"So he’s a talking crystal..?" Cadance shook her head "this is..."

"Up until his discovery of what he was, it seems he led a fairly normal life, I’m guessing he couldn’t cope with having his perception of life shattered, and lost it. I don’t think the one that created him intended for him to do what he did."

They heard a cry of pain, and realised Scorpan had a hold of Sombra, and was trying to crush his body.

Cadance started in shock as, even at the distance they were all standing, a fissure could be seen lashing up across Sombra's side.

"You dare defy me, I gave you life you wretched cur!" Scorpan glared at Sombra "yet you turn on me and protect those traitorous princesses!"

"Ughh...you...." Sombra gasped in pain "you’re insane, I should know. You wont succeed..." he turned his head slightly. Amidst the pain he seen Cadance and Shining Armor and felt a funny pang of fear, what did they think, seeing him alive again?

Scorpan spotted them too, Seeing three of the Princesses in one spot he decided now was the time for revenge.

He threw Sombra aside, the pony’s crystal body hitting a building with a loud crack. He fell tot he street below, landing in a crumpled heap.

“Say goodbye little Princesses!” he threw a flaming red fireball at Cadance and Shining Armor, the closest two-

But as the flares tore towards them, a crystal barrier formed in the air between them and it. The fire struck the crystal, creating a brilliant reflective light. But it held.

“What?” Scorpan turned to look at Sombra. The pony had got to his hooves. He was stumbling, wings trailing the ground, cracked and scuffed. But magic swirled around his horn as he focused on the crystal empire's rulers.

“Get….out of here...” he said.

--I want to apologise...and for that...I need...to live...--- he closed his eyes, remembering what Discord had said and calming his breathing.

--I am crystal. Maybe that's my answer! I can make this monster a statue.--

He started to glow with a bright purple aura as his magic began to collect at his core.

"What?! What are you doing?!" Scorpan swung back and lunged for Sombra, claws gleaming.

Cadance cried out as he succeeded in grabbing Sombra, and tried to crush him. Sombra opened his eyes, and they shone with a fire and determination. He unleashed a blast of light so blinding Scorpan had no choice but to look away, screaming in fury. He flung Sombra away, but the crystal Alicorn wasn’t done.

Gathered below, the group watched as Sombra flew back, up into the air, magnificent wings spread to maximum. Magic formed around him in a swirling globe, then, as Sombra opened his eyes again and lowered his horn, gathered itself into an arrow.

The light faded, and Scorpan only caught a glimpse of the arrow as it, with all Sombra's strength behind it, flew towards him. It struck him in the chest, tearing a gaping tear in his body, causing magical energy to leak out.

"Noo.." he bellowed, refusing to believe it, no way could he lose to a pony he'd left shattered and scared. But Sombra wasn’t done.

As the last of the energy faded, and Scorpan was reduced to his old, smaller form, the gargoyle looked up at his victor.

“Good bye.” Sombra spat, closing his eyes and firing one final spell at Scorpan. It wrapped around him, slowly turning him to crystal.

“No, I won't be defeated by a wretch like you, nooooo-!”

His scream cut off. Scorpan, frozen with one claw reaching angrily up towards Sombra as if wishing to rip him apart, was finally stopped.

Sombra landed on the ground, approaching the statue.

"It's done.." he felt himself beginning to shake. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. The injuries he'd sustained would require him to either let himself be destroyed, or return to crystal...

He heard hoof-steps behind him, and turned to face them.

"You're an Umbrum..." that was Cadance. Shining Armor stood beside her, staring at this crystal Alicorn in shock.

"Yes…" Sombra closed his eyes and bowed his head to them.

"You wanted to find your people beneath the castle." Shining Armor stated. Sombra nodded.

“I made a fatal error. I tried to change what I was to escape the pain of what felt like betrayal by everypony around me. That my whole life had been a lie was unbearable.”

“It wasn’t all bad...” Pinkie Pie recalled the funny rude song “the orphanage mare must’ve loved you a whole lot, she took care of you!”

“She had to go elsewhere, I was left alone again. I couldn’t do it a second time. She was the only one who made me feel like I had a right to exist. Without her, I was sure my fate was sealed, so I ran...”

He stumbled as he tried to take a step forward, and Shining Armor winced as he seen one of the cracks in Sombra's body fracture and spread, cutting across his chest. Sombra gasped in pain, and Cadance took a step forward, but Sombra backed up, shaking his head.

"I’m not here to hurt you!" Cadance declared "you just saved Canterlot. You shielded us. We owe you a chance-"

“Then let me take it now...” Sombra drew himself up as regally as he could, and he looked about to cry as he prepared the words he knew needed to be spoken.

“Let us help!” Celestia cried, seeing how much pain was in his eyes. Sombra shook his head;

"Please, I want to do this..." Sombra sighed peacefully, pained tears in his eyes as he formulated what he wanted to say;

"I wont last much longer, and before it becomes impossible for me to talk, id like to tell you I’m sorry. You AND the empire. It will mean nothing to them, but I ask you to convey it to them nonetheless. It was...home. Even to a creature born from a crystal it was a chance at a life.” he gathered the fragments of magic he had left, and flapped his fractured wings, lifting up into the air. Above his head a small ball of energy formed, and shaped itself into a key. He stumbled onto his hooves again, the key drifting down into one out held hoof. He approached Shining Armor, and held the key out.

“In the throne hidden in the shadows, in my private office, there is a second dimension. In it, everything I once hid from the empire. Records, books, secrets of the empire from my era. Get them back to your people.”

Stunned, Shining Armor took the key from Sombra's out held hoof. Sombra stumbled back, a further fracture slashed across his right foreleg and he pitched to the ground, crumpling in a heap.

“Stop it!” Shining Armor cried “you’re killing yourself to give this to us?!”

He hauled Sombra into a sitting position, and noticed his wings were fusing to his body.

“What’s happening to you?” he asked. Sombra drew breath, and was able to study the pony that'd faced him so bravely back then.

“My body is too damaged, and I have no magic left. I cannot heal myself. I'm returning to a crystal state. It cannot be reversed, it's too late.”

“Why didn't ya say that!” Applejack cried “why keep jawing away like that?!”

“I...” Sombra closed his eyes, shivering as another minute crack ran across his back “I would rather have the chance to try make up for what happened back then, than survive and keep running from it.”

He smiled sadly, and Cadance could see the genuine apology in his eyes.

“There’s one thing I'd like to do...” Sombra closed his eyes “I’d like one last look at this city before I sleep. It was so beautiful when I seen it that day..”

Discord appeared beside Sombra, helping him to stand on shaky legs. Without a word, and leaving only a blinding flash of chaos magic behind, the two disappeared.

“After them,” Twilight Sparkle blurted “right now! Please!!”

“We have to get to him, there must be a way to fix an Umbrum's body!” Cadance declared and they ran inside.

“Where can you get a good view of Canterlot from?” Shining Armor asked. Celestia racked her brains, then realised “the upper towers!”

As they ran in, they encountered Luna, who was ordering the guards around. She'd been woken by the explosions, and had found the palace staff in frantic panic. Several fires had been started by Scorpan's magic in the throne room, and she'd hurried to put them out!

“What is happening?!” she blurted as Celestia raced by.

“Sombra-!” Was all she caught, and ran after them!

Sombra felt dizzy as the Draconequus teleported them both to that same tower. He seen the view and felt his heart lift. By now he could barely stand, thus he sat down with a bump, and it was only thanks to Discord's help he could stay upright!

“Enough of your guff, surely chaos magic will set you right!” Discord tried to direct his magic to Sombra's body, but it made little difference, only slowing the fusion currently overriding Sombra.

“Why-?”

“It cannot be reversed, the damage is too much...” Sombra reminded him.

“Damage my ass!” Discord said stubbornly, and Sombra laughed at the phrasing.

“I have not the fire-power for that!” he managed to kid, which made Discord do a double take.

“Was that a joke, silly Sombra, hm?” he asked ironically, flicking the pony’s crystal ear. Sombra laughed, the sound almost musical, like crystal wineglasses connecting and sending sound waves through each other.

“I want to remember this sight, it was nice to see somewhere new,” Sombra said weakly as he looked out over the royal city.

“You’ll see it again!” Discord swore, there had to be a way to revive him, surely. Sombra turned away from the view to smile weakly;

“I owe you a debt of gratitude. You gave me peaceful nights during that hellish nightmare torment. Perhaps I will be able to follow the migrating coconuts you left in my dreams while I slumber in the crystal.”

Discord could see how afraid Sombra really was, but the pony was trying to make his last conscious moments worthwhile.

“I'll give you a flipping LECTURE on coconuts once 'Tia wakes you back up!” Discord pointed out, poking Sombra in the head. The Crystal pony laughed and smiled honestly. He looked content.

“You should let go of me, unless you want to be encased in crystal too...” he said weakly.

Discord was forced to step back, seeing crystal rising up around Sombra's body, obscuring him from view.

As it reached his neck, Sombra turned his gaze to the skyline once more, before finally closing his eyes and-

With a final crackle of crystal, Sombra was...gone, hidden inside a multi faceted lump of smoky grey crystal.

The door was flung open and the others all raced into the tower.

“Oh no...” Twilight Sparkle's heart sank.

“We're too late!” Cadance coughed.

“Discord!” Applejack stomped over to him “why didn’t ya let us help him?”

“Even I could sense what he was saying was the truth. The process could not be reversed, not after that much damage. He wanted to see the city one last time, so I gave him what he wanted!” the Draconequus shot back.

“Is there a way…?” Shining Armor looked from the massive crystal to the key Sombra had given him.

“If there is, we WILL find it!” Celestia vowed “for now, lets just move him somewhere safe...”

Author's Note

Guess what? i have a fever higher than a giraffe on a trampline! Whee... :pinkiesick:

Heehee, coconuts. Blame Monty Python...

"We're Bringing You Home..."

The whole mood was somewhat subdued after Sombra's return to crystal stasis. Pinkie moped a lot, everypony moped a little in fact. It was such a shock, knowing they owed thier safety to Sombra, yet he was effectively gone again!

The next day, Celestia set up a hastily arranged public speech, to explain to a clamouring crowd what was going on. Why Sombra was alive again, and why he'd appeared as a crystal Alicorn. She told them about a long dormant race, how Sombra had been the last one left, intended to revive them. But, left alone with nopony to guide him, the process had gone wrong and his power had manifested in a dangerous rush. This was what had contributed greatly to his madness, and led to him enslaving an empire.

“But isn't he still dangerous?” one stallion cried.

Celestia shook her head “I have personally spoken with him at length since he was brought here. After everything he endured at Scorpan's hands, he merely wanted somewhere to rest, away from civilization. And once I figure out how to reverse crystal stasis, I will make sure that comes true.”

“He saved Shining Armor and I,” Cadance spoke up next, her husband nodded “he could easily have let Scorpan take all of us out, had he truly wanted to reclaim his old home. As it was-” She nodded to Shining Armor, who floated up the key Sombra had given him “-he handed us a clue to the empire's past, stating he wanted us to uncover it all. And also something far more valuable, a sincere apology.”

Jaws hit the floor. Pinkie Pie mentally added a clanging sound in her head. Discord floated nearby, watching this silently. Fluttershy thought he'd been a bit withdrawn since Sombra's crystallization. He'd been the closest thing Sombra had had to a real friend afterall, and had gotten more response from the traumatized stallion than everypony else. He hadn't been his usual sarcastic, prank-obsessed self.

Celestia nodded, “When Scorpan burst in, he used a form of mind control magic to utilize Sombra as his personal war horse. The first task he ordered him to do was to take us out. Me, Discord and these six young mares here.”

More jaw drops, only this time Pinkie Pie banged a trash can lid she'd pulled from her mane with a hammer.

Discord sniggered briefly. He liked Pinkie Pie's style of humour.

“But he didn’t-” Celestia continued “in the end, he chose to turn his new power on his captor, and the control spell was shattered.”

Pinkie Pie popped up beside Celestia then, waving the portion of the collar she'd kept hidden in her mane. Harmless now, it just resembled a piece of curved black metal, inscribed with markings.

“This was a bit of the collar that big dumb meanie-pants put on Sombra!” She had to stand on her hind legs to reach the mic, which was set up for Celestia's size “And it broke! Wanna know how it broke?”

The crowd nodded en masse.

“Because we refused to abandon him, right girls?” She looked back at her friends. They all stepped forward and added their confirmation. “He geared up all this big big magic, then KABOOMY-” she waved the artefact in the air, and thus lost balance and toppled out of sight.

She was quickly righted by Celestia, where she carried on without missing a beat!

“-he whooped the big lug right up the-”

“Thank you miss Pie..” Celestia coughed.

“He chose to save US, OK?” Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs and glowered from where she hovered beside her friends “'nuff said!”

Most everypony recognised these girls, after all they’d saved Equestria numerous times, including the royal wedding and Discord's initial escape. If THEY were saying Sombra had made an effort to do something good, then…

“Look, he ain’t all bad, alright?” Applejack patted Pinkie Pie's hair and shared a smile with her friend “everypony deserves a second chance!”

Discord finally spoke, pretending to look as nonchalant as ever “I have to point out I’d say he’s suffered enough. Scorpan was as deluded as his big brother, and I should know! I met the fruit loop way back when he was still young!”

“S-s-o please...” Fluttershy said timidly, staring at the mic as she spoke “I-if I may ask...please give him a chance. He's been nice to us, and he saved us from Scorpan. After that beast hurt him so much he was scared of a friendly hoof, he still told Princess Celestia and Discord everything he could!” She sniffled, and Rarity patted her back gently.

“I know this is confusing for you all to hear,” Celestia finished “but we had to keep this a secret so there was no chance of outside sources finding out where Sombra was being held. From what I was able to assume about Scorpan, I knew he would not take kindly to having his “pet” kidnapped by those he wanted to use him against. Had Scorpan attacked any earlier, I don’t know if we would’ve stood such a chance of persuading Sombra to fight for US. We had no formal battle plan, the attack was too sudden, we'd only just started piecing together the shards Scorpan had shattered Sombra into.

So I ask you all to please be patient, and to consider the facts you have been given. I hope you will trust in me when I say he is no danger to us now. The damage that arose back then was mending, he had hope for something better….”

The crowd noticed her saddened tone of voice, and Celestia suddenly had something else to add;

“Our values and way of life have always been close to my heart. I believe in second chances. I was never happier than when Twilight Sparkle and her friends brought my dear sister back to me, when I'd almost given up hope..” she grew misty eyed at the memory of how overjoyed she'd been to see her sister again, to hug her in reality, and not just in her dreams.

“And I believe that if somepony is prepared to try, then I owe them a chance. I believe Sombra was, no, IS willing to try, that he's no longer a threat. And I doubt he will be if and when he awakens.”

One pony asked what she meant by IF.

“When the fight was over, the injuries to his advanced form were too great. He had no choice but to return to a crystal stasis. Given that the Umbrum have been a mystery all this time, I regrettably know only what Sombra himself was able to tell me. So to awaken an Umbrum is not something I know.”

“We WILL find a way!” Twilight Sparkle declared “we owe him that much!”

“Then he can just have a peaceful home like he wanted all along,” Discord added bluntly “somewhere quiet. I got the impression he'd like a garden!”

This little factoid caught everypony's attention. Discord didn’t seem to be goofing about, as he was famous for. He seemed serious.

Celestia thanked them all for listening, and all the Princesses and Prince bowed to the crowd before returning inside. Discord cleared off, seeming bored, but Fluttershy thought different.

“He seems less like his usual self..” Cadance remarked to Fluttershy, who knew the Draconequus best. They were wandering the hall together, everypony else had already raced off ahead to the throne room.

“I know...” the yellow pegasus sighed “I hate seeing him so down. He obviously misses Sombra. They seemed to get on so well!”

“...HOW well?” Cadance was struck by a flying off-track thought. And instantly realised how daft it sounded.

Fluttershy stared at her, kept right ON staring, then suddenly blushed bright red and fell over with a squeak.

“Never mind.” Cadance said quickly as she helped Fluttershy up “forget I said anything!”

“O-oh its alright!” Fluttershy beamed, already over her embarrassment.

--Where did I get THAT from?-- Cadance decided to stop reading so many of THOSE* comics before bedtime. Entertaining as they were, they were starting to seep into her thoughts.

“E-even if that’s NOT the case...” Fluttershy giggled “I think its good Discord's found another friend. He’s always just stuck to our tea parties, he rarely gets involved with the others girls as much. Maybe having somepony whoo understands what its like to try and change their ways will be good for him? For both of them...”

Cadance nodded. “I can see how it would help Sombra too. Discord was given a second chance, and so too has Sombra.”

“Then..?” Fluttershy asked hopefully. Cadance nodded.

“Shining Armor and I had a talk last night. Given what you girls told us, plus what we seen for ourselves, PLUS that he chose asking us to accept his apology over potentially healing himself, I felt he deserved a closer look, and Shining agrees. While he was trying to help Sombra, he said he seen a look of acceptance on his face. That he didn’t seem so crazy as the last time they fought. There’s a lot more to that pony than a tyrannical reign, and I'd like to talk to him more...”

She was surprised by receiving a hug from Fluttershy a second later, along with a quiet thank you. She smiled as the relieved pegasus let her go.

They joined the others in the throne room, where they were discussing ways to revive Sombra.

“I have an idea!” Twilight Sparkle was saying as they sat down “remember that cave we rescued Sombra from?”

“Eeyup!” Applejack nodded.

“We need to go back, see what Scorpan was keeping there. Sombra mentioned Scorpan would come and go at different times, and seemed to be living there. He was able to discover Sombra was an Umbrum, and what he could do, so there MUST be info there we can use!”

Celestia nodded, mulling it over.

“How did he acquire such info?” Shining asked his sister. Twilight Sparkle sighed sadly as she recalled something Sombra had said, and how hard it’d been for him to say it.

“He told us an old mage told Scorpan about HIM. About dark magic, and that Sombra was an Umbrum."

"Did Sombra know what he was when you recovered him? That he was destined to turn into that crystal version?" Cadance queried.

"Sombra seemed to understand the phrase “Umbrum ad Infinitum” when I mentioned it to him, but his reaction to it wasn't good.”

“How do you mean?” Her brother asked.

“It scared him, big brother. I think, underneath the trauma, he knew something was going to happen to him. Twice his crystal form tried to take over, but he panicked so badly, his own magic shut it off to try protect him!”

Celestia nodded “the first time it happened, he was pleading with me to do something. He had no clue what was happening to him. The shock of his revival and brutal imprisonment scattered his memory, he only had fragments of his past and subsequent defeat to go on, little to nothing of his race save for a faint awareness they lie beneath the Crystal Empire. He knew there was a prophecy if only because Scorpan had boasted he intended to trigger it using Sombra's position as the last Umbrum.”

“So the plan is to go explore that creepy cave?” Rarity asked. Twilight nodded.

“If there's info on the Umbrum, I’ll warrant Scorpan has it! He was obsessed with Sombra, reviving and using him for his twisted plans.”

“Road trip, whoo!” Pinkie Pie said softly.

Twilight chuckled “actually, I thought we'd go Breezie-form again, it makes it quicker!”

Celestia nodded, this sounded ideal to her. She told them to be careful. They planned to set off the next morning.

“They’re trying to wake you up, you know that right?” Discord spoke to the slumbering Umbrum within the hunk of crystal.

He sighed, feeling restless but yet he couldn’t be bothered to play his usual pranks.

“You probably cant hear a word I'm saying. Presumably chasing coconuts again...”

Silence.

“Wake up, doofus.”

The next morning at sunrise, the six ponies plus one little dragon prepared to leave. Twilight Sparkle hugged her brother and Cadance goodbye, and said she'd be careful. Then she changed them all into Breezies once more.

“Feels like deja vu ta me, settin' off again ta try save Sombra!” Applejack remarked as they flew.

“Exactly! And we're gonna do it twice running!” Rainbow Dash stated in determination.

As before, they reached the same crevasse in the cave they’d snuck in through last time. Flying inside, they seen patches of dried blood where Sombra had been chained, the manacles lying broken. Fluttershy shuddered, and Twilight Sparkle quickly changed them back to pony form (and one dragon) and off they trotted.

They crept down dark passageways, twilight lighting the way as before. They came across numerous caverns, most empty. One contained food supplies, and the biggest one:

“Whoa...” Rainbow Dash muttered, seeing all of one wall plastered in info about Sombra, including a sketch of the pony.

“Highly powerful, highly intelligent. Wont be easy to trap..” Rarity read aloud.

“Nailed it there.” Twilight Sparkle remarked, squinting at the terrible writing on one of the pages “this is part of the spell to revive him from the fragment he found..”

“Lookie!” Pinkie Pie waved a book in the air “a journal!”

She flipped it open and her eyes landed on one page at random.

“That worthless pony refuses to give up his power. I knew he was arrogant, but to be so deluded as to think I wont get what I want from him just because he manages to endure the interrogations thus far? Well, let me oblige his desire for pain. Lets see how well he fares with a few broken ribs, that ought to loosen his memory!”

“Oh my..!” Fluttershy paled.

Pinkie Pie continued “Seems a shame to have to kill him once this is over. He has such raw power. But I cant have him messing up my reunion with my brother. Once I have secured the Princesses, I intend to shatter that pony for GOOD. Maybe in front of my brother, it'd prove to him I’m no weakling-” she cut off “this is just...awful!” she screeched indignantly, and threw the book across the room.

Twilight retrieved it and added it to her saddlebag “maybe so, but we need to check it for any clues Pinkie!”

Sat atop her back, Spike nodded.

“I know..” Pinkie Pie said gloomily “but its such a mean book!”

“Hay sugarcube, were gonna write him a good endin' alright? Chin up!” Applejack consoled her. Pinkie Pie nodded, eyes brightening again.

Twilight found an odd indentation in one of the rocks, and found she could sense a powerful spell. Telling the others to step back, she unleashed a blast of Alicorn magic, and broke the lock.

The rock rumbled as it shifted back, revealing the mother-load of scrolls!

“Yes!” Twilight Sparkle cheered, eyes brightening at the sight of this well of knowledge. Diving forward, she pulled one towards her, scanned it then added it to her saddlebag, then moving onto the next. So caught up was she, she didn't notice the others had fallen silent, nor that extra steps had joined the group..

“Uh...Twilight..?” Fluttershy whispered fearfully. Spike wordlessly poked her in the back of the head.

“What is it?” Twilight Sparkle popped out of the rock safe, and her eyes widened.

There was a platoon of gargoyle guards standing there, spears aimed at them.

“Oh...poop.” Pinkie Pie said at last.

“Who are you?” one barked.

“I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle!” the purple Alicorn began “these are my friends-”

“What business have you here?” was the next order.

“Well, we're trying to find a way to help a friend, and this is where he was held by Scorpan.” Twilight Sparkle trailed off as the guards exchanged glances.

“You need to come with us.” was all they said. And there was no room for negotiation.

So they wound up being escorted across the land towards the palace where the King and Queen lived.

They were led up to the throne room, where the guards left them in the care of other guards, and went to fetch the royals.

“Whats goin' on?” Applejack furrowed her brow.

“I don't know, but I’m guessing it has to do with Scorpan.” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

The double doors were flung open once more and the guard declared “His highness King Vorak, and Her highness Queen Haydon!”

The centaur King and gargoyle Queen approached them. The Queen flew alongside her husband, dressed in white robes adorned with silver jewellery and crown. The King was wearing gold armour and crown and a red fur cloak.

“You may leave.” Vorak addressed his guards and they bowed their heads before leaving.

“What do you know of my son, Princess?” he addressed Twilight as he bowed to the little Equestrian. She gave a respectful bow in return, they all did, and then she spoke.

“We rescued a friend of ours from where Scorpan was holding him captive.”

She nodded at her saddlebag where the papers she'd picked up had been stashed “it's all in there, there’s a diary.”

The Queen lifted it out while King Vorak looked down at the ponies.

“It's been a long long time since we had contact with Equestrians, it is a strange sight to see you. What were you doing in that cave?”

“We were looking for a way to help our friend-” Twilight Sparkle began, but was cut off by the Queen uttering a grief stricken wail as she read the diary.

“Did you read the mean bits?” Pinkie asked.

She nodded, and turned to her husband “Scorpan had resurrected the former northern tyrant, Sombra.”

“Sombra?” Vorak blurted “I thought he was merely a legend...”

“He's real,” Rainbow Dash confirmed “and he is a baller-as-heck dark magic user. That's why your son needed to resurrect him so badly. Dark magic was the answer. To his mind anyway...”

Haydon skimmed the pages, turning pale as she read what Scorpan had planned for Sombra, and what he'd done to him.

“Did he...do all this..?” she asked the girls, as if hoping it could be lies.

Twilight nodded, and Fluttershy teared up again.

“He broke as much of him as he could mentally, an' took a few pot shots physically while he was there!” Applejack stated.

“He was in so much pain when Celestia sent us to rescue him.” Fluttershy cried. Pinkie hugged her gently.

“Princess Celestia sent you?” Vorak knew Celestia, he'd travelled with the envoy to return an Equestrian unicorn back when Tirek had first started going off the rails.

Twilight nodded.

“I will send for some tea,” Haydon wiped her tears “I want to hear the whole story, please.”

And so the ponies told her their side from start to end. How they’d rescued the lost and broken Sombra, and had tried to help fix the damage. Fluttershy ended up crying again, she still felt so bad for Sombra.

“And what of him now child?” Haydon had taken a liking to the sweet sensitive pegasus, and sat beside her, offering a handkerchief.

“He's..” Fluttershy gratefully accepted it, and mopped her eyes “he’s in a crystal sleep..”

“What’s that?” Vorak asked “Equestrian magic?”

“No, Umbrum magic!” Twilight said. Both royals looked at each other.

“The Umbrum are a story, a legend. Are they real also?” Vorak queried incredulously. Seven nods met his eyes.

“There is much we do not understand...” Haydon sighed sadly “let alone why Scorpan was lost to us too. Do not pamper me, is he in Tartarus?”

Twilight Sparkle and the others exchanged glances, and nodded. She gave a sad sob.

“Ahm sorry yer majesty, we wish it coulda been different, but he was just too set on settin' his brother loose and lockin' all ponykind in cages or takin' their magic!” Applejack said honestly.

“And using Sombra to do it.” Twilight Sparkle said sadly.

“Will my son's insane nonsense be able to revive the pony? This “Sombra”?” Vorak asked. Twilight Sparkle nodded.

“Well, we hope so...he seemed to know an awful lot about the Umbrum. We're hoping he knew a way to awaken one too...” Rarity explained.

“I know it might sound crazy,” Twilight fought to explain it “but he's not such a bad pony any more. Even though it scared him, and he was in a lot of pain, he still told us what he could. He began to smile a little. He seemed to be getting better the longer he was around us all. Even the Prince and Princess of the crystal empire have decided to give him another chance if we can only get him back!”

“Despite his actions, he is your friend?” Queen Haydon asked. They nodded.

“Everypony dun goofed at some point!” Rainbow Dash said “Sombra's was just…WORSE than most. But, honestly? He’s cool.” she finished with a nod.

Queen Haydon wiped her eyes once more, and looked to her husband “I’d like to help them,” she whispered “whatever we can do...”

Her husband nodded silently, he agreed with the idea. The damage sounded bad, and these girls seemed saddened by the former tyrants crystal stasis situation.

“If you can revive him, I’d like to speak with him,” Haydon said to the group “I feel he deserves our apologies for his suffering.”

“It weren’t yer fault!” Applejack consoled her “from what we were able to glean from Sombra, yer son just wanted his happy family back. Ah guess he just got dangerously carried away.”

“A living creature is a living soul, no matter their crimes.” King Vorak quoted “its an old saying from our people. This “Sombra”, regardless of his past actions, is the victim of our sons actions. It is only proper we meet with him, if possible.”

“We'd like that...” Twilight said “and we'd appreciate your help your highnesses!”

Haydon and Vorak nodded, and Vorak called for his advisor...

By the end of the day, every last scrap had been recovered from Scorpan's cave, and packed safely away for transport to Canterlot. Queen Haydon also brought some boxes with her, that she explained were gifts from her kingdom. It was tradition to bring them on visits, but she'd also included some other things. Books on magic, rare special fabrics etc. Rarity's ears perked up when she heard that, and she hoped she might get a look!

Thus the six young mares were joined by a King, Queen and their armored envoy as they set off back to Canterlot. Spike sent Celestia a letter explaining why they'd be late back, and who they were bringing with them.

Princess Celestia greeted the King and Queen at the gates to the palace, saying she was honored to have them there, how could she help them?

The group retired to the throne room where Haydon and Vorak explained why they'd come. Celestia expressed her sadness and regret that she'd had to imprison Scorpan.

“We know the whole story Princess,” Haydon said softly “these kind ponies told me everything. I’m under no illusion of my sons crimes.”

“You did your best my love,” Vorak put a hand on his wife’s shoulder “we both did. In the end, they choose their own path. Scorpan had always idolized his brother, we realised too late just how obsessed he was. He used to be such a smart boy...”

Celestia nodded in understanding.

“I have given that studious Princess all the materials Scorpan hoarded in that cave,” Vorak said “we hope it will help you.”

“As do I,” Celestia nodded “and if anypony can work it out, I am sure it will be Twilight!”

Twilight spent many a long night trying to decipher Scorpan's notes. In the end she found a scrap of paper saying that Umbrum's were rumoured to “sleep” at a certain level of consciousness. That their own kind knew how to reach them. That they instinctively knew their kinds special frequency. It seemed like a dead end until one evening, whilest sitting with her former student, Celestia scratched at her neck, feeling a vague tingling there. Then she recalled her promise to Sombra, and that he'd been wearing the band when he went full Umbrum!

On closer examination of the facts they had to hoof, it matched what Discord had said about Sombra saying he hoped he would dream something nice while he slept. Maybe he remembered the oath! And coconuts...

Dismissing that last bit, Twilight Sparkle went in search of the Draconequus, and once he agreed, they went to Celestia.

Twilight and the others wanted to join her, but Celestia said there was a high chance this could blow up in hers and Discord's faces. So they were best doing it alone…

They would’ve just sat outside and done nothing, but Pinkie Pie suddenly had a funny sort of fit. She twitched, rolled into a ball, bounced round in a circle then popped upright..

“Whooo...” she giggled, cross-eyed “that’s new!”

“You alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Pinkie twitched, sneezed, then burped.

“I think..” she said, then trailed off.

“I’m gonna need proof of that!” Rainbow Dash sniggered.

“We need party supplies!” Pinkie Pie spouted rapidly “I need streamers, and cake, and candy, and MORE streamers, and a refill for my canon! OOH, WE NEED BANNERS!!” Then she was running off down the hall.

“We'd best catch up to her before she startles somepony...” Rarity remarked into the stunned silence.

And so they all took off after their friend, Twilight leaving a note on the door saying it was a “class PINKIE emergency”. Celestia would understand…

Celestia placed a hoof on the crystal that contained Sombra. Discord did the same, and they joined hoof and paw between the two of them.

“Ready?” Discord raised an eyebrow. Celestia nodded, looking at the opaque crystal.

“Let's bring him home!”

Their heads pounded as they channelled their magic, light and chaos together into the Umbrum crystal.

Everything went white, then they were in a strange, open expanse. Everything seemed to be made of shades of grey crystal. Except…

“Is that a coconut?” Celestia asked as the aforementioned Cocos nucifera bounded by.

“It certainly is, and its headed south for the...whatever season it is!” Discord chuckled. Sombra hadn’t been kidding about the coconuts!

“How are we going to find him in this place?” Celestia asked. It seemed to stretch on forever in all directions!

“I have an idea!” Discord snapped his fingers and a taxidermy parrot appeared in his hands.

“What in Equestria…?!” Celestia sputtered.

“Its a parrot. Well, an ex-parrot really..”

“Pardon?”

“It's bereft of life.”

“You're not making sense.”

“It has shimmied down the curtain and joined the choir immortal.”

“Discord!” Celestia snapped.

“Its a dead parrot. Don’t ask why, but it seems linked to the migrative coconuts whenever I summon them!” He waved the parrot about like he was trying to get a signal, and set off whooping “this way!”

Celestia facehoofed, but flew after him nonetheless.

Soon they spotted a crystal structure up ahead. It appeared to be a tent of sorts, inside which was a bed of crystal, with pearly silk covers. Wrapped up in said covers, looking fretful even as he napped, was:

“Sombra!” Discord cried happily. This startled the stallion awake and he sat bolt upright in the bed. He stared groggily at them, confused.

“Whu...how…?” he said softly.

“It's US!” Celestia tapped at her bare neck. Sombra looked down, staring at the necklace she'd given him, in its transformed shape. It was still around his neck, and he'd tried so hard not to think about the opportunity he'd lost while he'd been encased in the crystal. Time seemed to pass so slowly...

But now they were here. Did this mean they could help him?

“We're bringing you home, silly Sombra!” Discord said cheerfully, grabbing the bewildered pony in a bear hug, swinging him round before setting him back on the bed. Sombra looked even more cross-eyed after this!

“I don't understand. How did you get here?” he asked.

“We followed the oath-band's spell!” Celestia said, “Twilight discovered Umbrum dream on a specific wavelength, and we didn’t know how to find it. Then I remembered you still bore my necklace, which had the spell on it. We just had to focus on the spell, and we appeared here!”

“Then..?” Sombra looked from her to the Draconequus “you can…?”

“Wake you up! Why, we certainly intend to!” Discord clapped him on the back.

Sombra nodded, then a thought occurred “Canterlot-?”

“It's fine Sombra,” Celestia smiled “damaged here and there, but nopony was seriously hurt. Twilight Sparkle and the others are waiting for you. Cadance and Shining Armor also want to see you again...”

Sombra recalled his apology to them and looked worried, wondering if she meant-

“They're not angry!” Discord piped up “they just want to talk to you about the Umbrum beneath the palace, and who you really are.”

Sombra looked slightly nauseous, but Celestia came closer and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“It's not what you think Sombra.” she assured him. But Sombra was still worried, how was he supposed to face them? He was a monster, what else would they see in him besides a former threat to their home?

“Cheer up!” Discord tweaked Sombra's ear, catching his attention.

“We need you to wake up Sombra.” Celestia told him.

“Open a portal out of here or whatever!” Discord added helpfully.

“I...I’ll try….” Sombra stammered. He closed his eyes, listening to the thud of his heartbeat. His coat shimmered, and the crystal form took over in an instant. Celestia once more marvelled at how beautiful he looked as his wings unfurled to catch the light and reflect in a myriad of fractal colours across the walls of the tent.

A massive glimmering portal suddenly rent the air at the foot of the bed, and Sombra opened his eyes.

“My apologies, I didn’t realise it would yield so quickly...”

But there was nothing on the other side, Sombra looked puzzled.

“I don’t know how to reach back to the normal world...” he said at last, panic clawing at his gut.

“Hmm..” Discord stared around them, then realised the answer was staring them in the face. He grabbed Celestia in one arm, and Sombra in the other. Both stared in confusion.

“Focus on US! You must be able to sense the magic on Celestia's band, go for that!” the Draconequus stated.

Sombra nodded, closing his eyes and following the band. Sure enough, there was a thin tendril of magic he could sense, one that fed back to a physical body.

With an ear-splitting pop, the room the crystal had been stored in materialized on the other side.

“Lets go!” Discord yelled, diving in with the two still held in his arms. They hit the portal with a smack, and everything went bright again-

In the room, the crystal shuddered, splintered, then cracked wide open, spraying shards of grey crystal everywhere. The two snapped back into their physical bodies, and quickly opened their eyes. Sat amidst the wreckage of the crystal was:

“Sombra!” Celestia cheered, doubly relieved to see the plan had worked. He looked back to his normal self, with soft grey coat and black mane. Both she and Discord grabbed him in a hug at the same time, so he was surrounded by a kind warmth by two figures he'd grown to respect and call friends.

He had just enough energy to thank them, then his physical body gave in to exhaustion, and he fell asleep once more.

“Aww...” Discord chuckled, studying the sleeping unicorn “he's so sleepy he can barely keep his little balance!”

Giggling merrily he tweaked the sleeping Sombra's ear as Celestia rolled her eyes.

“Ow!” Discord jumped “'Tia, stop poking me with your wing!”

“I'm NOT!” she declared “mine are both down!”

“Then who- ah..” Discord poked Sombra's back “well, I wonder if THIS is supposed to happen-?”

For folded to Sombra's sides were the crystal wings. Despite the fact he'd reappeared in his “pony” form instead of the Umbrum form, he'd retained the wings. On closer inspection, they seemed quite firmly attached, the crystal moulding seamlessly into the grey fur of his coat.

Celestia fetched a blanket and wrapped it around the out cold pony, as he seemed to be shivering subtly.

“We can figure it out later, lets get him to bed.” Celestia decided. “I'll call the guard-”

“Pssh!” Discord flapped a hand at her, and quite easily managed to pick up Sombra. “He's not that heavy, well, not really...” He followed Celestia out into the hall, carrying the sought-after Sombra.

They encountered the girls as they made their way down an empty hallway. They were all laden down with shopping bags, containing all manner of things!

Pinkie spotted the dozing Sombra and let out a squee of such pitch it was inaudible to everypony but sadly not Discord. He twitched, glowering at her. But she didn’t notice, she'd dropped her bags and zoomed over. Now she was bouncing up and down trying to get a look at the sleeping Sombra, but Discord was holding him just out of her reach.

“Is he OK?” She chirped happily “can he remember us? Is he hungry? I bought extra special ingredients for a cake-!”

“He needs sleep Pinkie Pie...” Celestia said kindly “opening a link back to a solid waking state has tired him out. Now he is back with us, I’m sure he will recover rapidly. But for now he needs peace and quiet, OK?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, miming zipping her lip.

“What on Equestria have you been buying?” Discord asked, seeing them all staggering under shopping bags.

“Pinkie...” Rarity grumbled good naturedly, “insisted we were going to need party supplies and she must have bought out the entire shop!”

“Now we know what fer, hay?” Applejack grinned in relief “he's got a party of epic proportions waiting for him once he's better!”

“I’m just glad to see he's back..” Fluttershy sighed in relief. She caught Discord's eye, who seemed to think the same!

“Cool!” Rainbow Dash declared.

“Exactly darling!” Rarity nodded, setting her bags down and rubbing her back.

“I'll tell BBBFF!” Twilight Sparkle smiled. Celestia nodded, and she and Discord set off to get Sombra to his room!

The six young mares meanwhile, managed to make it to their rooms, more specifically Pinkie Pie's and drop off the party gear.

“What on Equestria is all that?”

Twilight turned as she heard her brothers voice. Beside him was an amused Cadance.

“We're gonna have a party!” Pinkie whooped “well, once he's all better anyway!”

“He-?” Shining Armor's eyebrows rose “you mean-?”

“Yep!” Twilight nodded “We literally just bumped into Discord and Celestia. They managed to undo the stasis. He wont wake up for awhile, but, he's OK….”

Both looked relieved, which felt odd given their past history. But they were glad he was alive again…

Once there, the slumbering Umbrum was tucked up in bed, and the doctor gave him a quick check-up, and by miracle of Umbrum magic, the scars of his torment had faded from his body, and the formerly shattered leg was good as new.

They left a guard to keep an eye on him, and let them know if he woke. Then they left.

Before he did, Discord sneakily made a coconut appear on the bedside table. Then he was off, chuckling faintly...

Author's Note

* = a poke at my own decidedly silly mind XD, and one too many of a certain M/M manga!

Sorry this took so long, I ended up re-writing it all from scratch. That and Fallout 4 happened! =D

I now have various Monty Python jokes running round my head! :pinkiehappy:

That and i've typed "the last Umbrum" so often i now have that "Last Unicorn" song in my head, Heh... :twilightsmile:

Repercussions

When Sombra awoke, the first thought he had was that he had to be dreaming. But no, this seemed real enough, this was the same bed he'd been sleeping in since arriving here. He let himself relax a second, enjoying the feel of the familiar. Then his memory came skidding back into his head, and he sat bolt upright in a flash.

Celestia and Discord. They'd somehow entered his dream-state and helped him wake back up, saying they were bringing him home…

--I cant believe I'm alive, I thought for sure that fight was the end of me. But what now? Where am I going to go? I have to find Celestia!--

He didn't so much get out of bed as fall out of it. It felt like his body had either atrophied or he'd forgotten how to control it.

He bit his lip to muffle a frustrated snarl as he finally managed to stand steadily on his hooves. A quick check from a fuzzy memory had him glancing at his right hind leg. But it didn't hurt, there was no sign of it ever being broken.

His gaze travelled away from the uninjured leg, and up to his side where something shimmered-

“EYAAGH!” he let out a loud yelp, and stumbled back into the side of the bed. This couldn't be real. There were WINGS snuggled up to his sides, their crystal surface catching the mid-morning light.

As he focused on it, the wing he was staring at in total disbelief unfurled and shivered a little, sending a funny sensation down to his back.

“You can't be here, you can't...” he croaked, throat dry. He could remember turning into a crystal Umbrum, finally sealing Scorpan away, and talking to the Prince and Princess before his injuries became too great and he asked if he could see Canterlot's stunning view one last time before his sleep in the crystal. He hadn’t known if he could even wake back up, so he'd prepared for the worst, to never see this place again.

When he'd woken back in the real world, the first thing he'd been confronted with was a dual hug from Celestia and a grinning Discord. They'd been so glad to see him, hadnt they?

He needed to find her. He glanced around, and spotted the same cloak he'd worn before to hide his injuries. He draped it over his back, grateful the material was thick enough to hide the wings unless you stared quite closely.

Nudging the door open he glanced up and down the hall. Nopony was there. Wasn’t there usually a guard?

He stumbled out, the door clicking shut behind him. Silence rang alongside his own uneasy heartbeat as he walked softly towards the end of the hall. Silence.

He came to a halt at an intersection, unsure where to even begin looking for the sun Princess.

“-you OK?” the voice cut into his thoughts suddenly and he jumped, whirling round and almost losing his balance. He felt one wing try to unfurl to balance him and quickly used one hoof to shove it back under the fabric.

The guards expression didn’t change, save for a slightly raised eyebrow.

“I have to find Celestia...” Sombra managed to speak at last.

“Follow me.” the guard said, seemingly unfazed by him. Sombra stumbled after him, literally.

“Sure you're OK?” The guard asked.

“For some blasted reason I’m having an issue co-ordinating my own body. Wish that I knew how to stop it from doing this, it's making me dizzy.” Sombra grumbled as he focused on the carpet, it was the only way to walk steady.

“You’ve been asleep for three days!” The guard remarked “I’m not surprised-”

THUD.

He stopped and turned, Sombra had stumbled and flopped over onto the floor, forelegs pinned under him.

“You're serious?” he asked, blinking.

The guard nodded “Yes, the doctor was starting to worry you'd never regain consciousness. He was muttering about Umbrum being somewhat out of his depth they made so little sense.”

“He isn’t alone in that.” Sombra remarked to the carpet “even I don’t know what I am!”

“You uh..?”

“Give me a moment..” Sombra untangled his legs from underneath and stood properly. “There, sorted….”

The guard looked a little dubious, but settled for bringing this dazed and confused pony to the Princess. If he got any worse, she wouldn’t hesitate to call the doctor.

The guard knocked at the door of a fancy office, and Celestia told them to enter.

“He said he needed to see you, your highness.” The guard gestured to the pony he was escorting. Celestia looked up, did a double take, and beamed.

“Sombra! Oh thank goodness, I was wondering when you'd be up!” She trotted over to him, seeing he looked a little lost.

“I can take it from here.” she told the guard. He nodded, and soon they were left alone.

“It's so good to see you up. You’ve had a long recovery. After we brought you back, you passed out straight away...”

“Three days, that’s what the guard told me.” Sombra said softly.

She nodded “the doctor set up a drip, but you’re going to be feeling a little weak for awhile, until your body readjusts.”

She looked so happy to see him awake, he felt oddly guilty for some reason “Discords been asking if you’ve, and I quote ”gotten your lazy ass out of bed yet”?”

“Princess-!” He began, then cut off...

She turned at his voice, letting the window curtains fall from her hoof as she paused in closing them. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Sombra looked like he was baffled by the fact she couldn’t already guess, so he threw the cloak aside “these..”

She realised he referred to the wings “Yes, that WAS a surprise. They reappeared when you came back from the stasis. Are they hurting-”

“They cant be here!” Sombra felt the unnamed panic rising “there must be a way to get rid of them-!”

“Hold on Sombra,” Celestia rushed over, and gently set a hoof on his shoulder “don’t panic, there must be an explanation for this.”

“I-it's a mistake, I must’ve messed up the spell to recover my regular form, it's the only reason...” he shook his head, an uneasy rumbling underlining his voice “I just know this; they can't be here.”

Celestia looked concerned that he was this bothered by them, but when she asked why, he couldn’t seem to find the words to answer her.

“Just take it easy, a lot has happened. Getting frantic will only wear you out.” She said at last. He nodded, slinging the cloak back on him.

“Are you OK to walk with me?” she asked. He nodded.

She led him out of the office, and together they walked the halls. Sombra asked a few short questions about how things were faring since the attack, and nodded as she answered them. He kept darting glances at the wings, hidden by his cloak. He seemed worried they might pop up, they seemed to be unnerving him…

As they rounded one corner, a pink blur suddenly shot out of nowhere and tackle-hugged Sombra. In his still jelly-legged state he lost his balance and fell over. In the commotion, his wings tried and failed to stabilize their owner, but he still wound up in a confrontation with the carpet regardless of their efforts.

“Oopsie.” a familiar voice filtered through to the dazed pony. He sat up, shaking his head.

“Sorry, I forget you might be a little sleepy-OOOH!” Pinkie Pie spotted the half-unfurled wings and grabbed one gently, examining her reflection in it “they’re so pretty!”.

Sombra forced himself to return her smile, but soon as she let the wing go, he compressed them, hiding them back under his cloak. So much for secrecy.

“Classy, Pinkie Pie...” A drawling voice sniggered. Sombra looked up, seeing the whole collection of them, the six colourful ponies. And of course, Spike.

“'Sup?” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof.

“Sadly not my sense of gravity..” Sombra managed at last.

“Discord will be relieved to hear you’re awake..” Fluttershy smiled.

Celestia helped Sombra wobble to his feet. She asked if he was OK and he nodded slowly. Everything just felt so strange…

The other girls came over to tell him how glad they were to see he was awake.

Spike caught Sombra's eye and waved.

“I found some more comics if you wanna read 'em?” he piped up. This simple gift made Sombra feel the familiar sense of contentment he’d had in the days before his stasis. A soft smile broke the stoic expression on his face.

“I would be more than happy to. Those illustrated pages did stay in my dreams for quite a while.”

“You were dreaming in that crystal?” Spike asked.

“Yes. It was strange, more like a second reality. But it was so empty...” Sombra recalled.

“Coconuts.” Celestia laughed. Sombra sighed.

“Yes, blame Discord for that one. Wait, was that how you found me, following the coconuts?”

“Yes and no. Discord tracked thier migration using an ex-parrot.”

“A what, pardon me?” Sombra thought he'd misheard her.

“An ex-parrot. It had...ceased to be.”

“I don’t understand-”

“It was a dead parrot.” Celestia dead-panned, seeing the same confusion she'd felt written all over Sombra's face.

“On second thoughts, forget I asked.” Sombra groaned.

The girls were giggling at the whole exchange. Celestia had told them this story, how Discord had found Sombra using a stuffed ex-avian.

“Only Discord...” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“There are some important people that are here to see you Sombra. I was actually just about to make my way to them when the guard brought you to me.” Celestia at last cut the merriment short and turned serious.

“Who?” Sombra asked hesitantly.

“Come with me, it's best you see for yourself.” Celestia said kindly. Sombra felt his stomach sink, but he nodded regardless.

“We'll see you later, right?” Pinkie Pie peered up at Sombra as he turned to follow Celestia to the throne room. He nodded soundlessly, and she beamed.

They watched him vanish round the corridor, and Spike asked;

“Sooo….he has wings again?”

Celestia approached the wide doors, her uneasy guest at her side. Sombra seemed on edge, no doubt he was expecting something bad.

“It's ALRIGHT Sombra.” she said softly. He jumped slightly, looking at her. Behind his emotional barricade, she could see the uncertainty of his future now scared him. He'd gone into the stasis accepting that was the end, he wouldn’t wake back up.

“I wasn’t expecting this. I thought...” he trailed off.

“It's fine, you've been through so much. Anypony would be overwhelmed. But don't forget..” she indicated the necklace “I will keep my promise to you.”

She opened the doors, and addressed the two within;

“My apologies for my lateness, I brought a guest with me.”

Vorak and Haydon turned at Celestia's clear tones. And seen a second pony beside her. Tall, sturdy build with inky black mane and wary red eyes. So this was him...

Celestia approached, guiding Sombra beside her.

Once they were close enough, the King and Queen got to their feet and bowed regally. Still silent, Sombra managed to mimic Celestia in returning it.

“We have awaited your recovery master Sombra.” Vorak addressed the pony with the utmost respect. Sombra blinked, startled by this.

“This is Queen Haydon and King Vorak from the Centaur/Gargoyle empire.” Celestia introduced them. Sombra put two and two together, and his throat went dry, these had to be Scorpan's parents.

“We understand this is hard for you,” Haydon spoke softly, seeing the unease in Sombra's expression “but we aren’t here to harm you. We requested we be permitted to see you once you were well enough, so we could deliver our apology in person.”

“Apology..?” Sombra's voice was faint, but audible enough. Vorak had begun to wonder if he'd been rendered mute by the whole ordeal. It would’ve been entirely understandable, he thought.

“Your friends came to our land hoping to find a cure for your endless slumber,” Vorak explained to Sombra “when we heard what had happened, we requested we come here with them.”

Haydon's eyes misted up in memory of what the girls had told her, and she and her husband exchanged looks before both bowed very deeply before the one they’d come to see.

“We hope you can forgive the crimes committed wilfully against you by our son.” Vorak said seriously “it never should have come to pass, his actions were unforgivable. Every soul has the right to a life lived absent of such fear, regardless of their past. It is a paltry offering in comparison to what you have endured, but we beg your forgiveness master Sombra.”

Sombra was silenced as their words sunk in. He was the last pony on Equestria that deserved apologies, that was his personal view. After all he'd done, what right did he have to ask? But here they were, the family of the gargoyle he'd personally had sealed away, asking HIM to forgive THEM.

He would’ve continued to flounder had he not spotted a single shining tear fall swiftly to the carpet from the Queens eyes.

He realised this had to be painful for them, to have both their children imprisoned. This wasn’t their fault, he was certain of that. What Scorpan had done had been his decision. Yet they were left to pay the price. They didn’t deserve to bear this burden.

It was this that finally gave him the strength to speak:

“Any forgiveness you seek is more than granted your highnesses.” he closed his eyes as a temporary feeling of dizziness overwhelmed him, and the room faded at the edges. It felt like a weight had been take off his still aching body.

He opened his eyes, catching concern for his health on Celestia's face as he looked from her to the King and Queen.

Haydon clasped her hands to her chest in gratitude as they straightened up out of the bow.

“Thank you..” she whispered as she brushed away her tears.

“He loved you both,” Sombra said hoarsely, making them look at him “I got the feeling he wanted his family back, no matter the cost. In a way, I can understand what pushed him to do it. After all, there was a point in history where I staged a takeover to try and revive my own kind. Love can be a powerful force.”

“We are grateful beyond measure to you master Sombra.” Vorak was relieved. What his son had done to this pony had left Vorak with doubts the stallion could possibly forgive it. It had to have taken real courage to forgive those that represent your worst nightmare.

Celestia suggested they have some tea, that way they could talk more informally.

Placed beside the cushions where the king and queen were sat, there was a large hand-wrapped package.

“We spoke at length with your friends, and a unicorn by name of Rarity suggested assembling this for you from the gifts we brought.”

She set the package at Sombra's hooves. Curious, Sombra opened it.

Inside it was a fur-lined cloak. The fabric was patterned like pearl, in shades of silver, white and grey. Soft white fur ran around its edges and collar. A silver clasp engraved with the traditional symbol of the kingdom held it closed.

“Wow..” Celestia said, impressed.

“It's beautiful, I...Thank you.” Sombra said, surprised by the present.

When he unlatched his old cloak to replace it with the new one, both Vorak and Haydon caught sight of the crystal wings. They were soon hidden by the new cloak, but they were curious nonetheless.

“You are an Alicorn like Princess Celestia?” Vorak asked “doesn’t that infer a royal standing?”

“Oh!” Haydon looked worried “I apologise for any offence your h-”

“-I am not one of such importance,” Sombra reassured them with a faint smile “do not worry yourselves. The wings appeared as a by-product of my crystal form. That they have appeared in THIS form is accidental. I regretfully admit I have not fully mastered it yet.”

Celestia wondered how he'd cope if this turned out not to be the case? If the wings were a part of the prophecy?

The King and Queen talked about their kingdom, about their encounter with Twilight Sparkle and the others. How they'd been given the loveliest tour of the city. Sombra was curious about the place Scorpan had come from, it sounded intriguing.

After a nice, long talk, the two once more thanked Sombra for accepting their apollogy, then they left.

“That was a generous thing to do.” Celestia said to Sombra.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Even after all you suffered, you were still able to forgive them.”

“They were not to blame for what happened. Scorpan had to accept the consequences for what he did. We all must..” he trailed off, the weight of his own crimes pressing into his chest once more.

Under his new cloak, the wings shivered.

“Sombra-” Celestia began, but he shook his head.

“It's nothing,” he said at last “my concern right now is dealing with my wings. I dont understand why they reappeared?”

“I will look into it tonight, I promsie.” Celestia assured him “for today, do not punish yourself, you have no cause to. Come, let us find Twilgiht Sparkle and the girls. Pinkie Pie has been planning something special for you for some time now!”

Sombra wondered what she meant, but followed her nonetheless.

“That cloak suits you,” Celestia remarked as they walked “reminds me of the crystal we seen in your dream world.”

“It feels so warm...” Sombra looked happy “it was kind of them to give me such a gift. I will look after it with the utmost care..”

They stepped outside into the garden as he spoke, and Celestia smiled at the crowd on the grassy expanse. There was a massive table laden with all sorts of goodies not far behind them.

The six young mares, Spike, and Discord all cheered when they seen Sombra!

“Surprise!” Pinkie Pie blasted the party canon, sparkly confetti filling the air “Welcome back wakey wakey party!”

“Finally decided to stop napping, huh?” Discord appeared beside Sombra, mussing his mane before wrapping his tail around the pony and scooping him off the ground “I was starting to think a bucket of ice water was needed!”

As he spoke he was charging across the lawn to the table where all the cake awaited. He sat Sombra down at the head of the table, and Celestia joined them a second later.

“Awright!” Rainbow Dash cheered “lets celebrate!”

Sombra was floored by this. All this joy, this happiness….was for HIM?

“Of course it is, silly Sombra!” Discord poked him upside the head and gave the stunned pony a grin “cake?”.

He held up a plate, with a slice of tasty looking chocolate cake on it. Sombra nodded.

“Everypony ready?” Pinkie Pie held up her glass.

Sombra recognised this, was it going to-

Sure enough, once they all held up their glasses, the mini clouds appeared, and chocolate milk poured steadily into their glasses.

He found himself able to relax more as time passed, and the issue of his wings slipped his mind for the time being. Rarity declared how wonderful the cloak looked on him, stating it was “just darling”!

All too soon Sombra grew sleepy, and Celestia suggested he rest. His strength would return soon.

As he bid the girls farewell for now, and thank you, Sombra wondered why he hadn’t seen the other two royals from the empire.

“They had to return to the empire to sort things out, they'll be back the day after tomorrow.” Celestia told him.

Sombras nerves arose once more, but he nodded regardless.

Later that evening Spike dropped by with the comics. He sat beside Sombra atop the bed, as engrossed in them as the pony was. When the little dragon began to yawn, Sombra chuckled and suggested he go rest.

“See ya!” The baby dragon trotted off with a wave. Sombra felt a bit less worried. If only this happiness could last for longer. But once the empires rulers returned, he knew he'd have more to face…

He curled up and soon fell asleep, a blissfully dreamless sleep at least.

The next morning he was surprised to receive an early visit from Celestia.

He felt his head ache as she more or less told him there was little chance he could rid himself of the wings. All signs pointed to them being a sign of his ascension to the prophecised role of the ruler of the Umbrum. She and Discord had spent ages studying everything Twilight had brought back with her.

“I'm sorry Sombra, right now it seems permanent. I dont know enough about Umbrum to risk anything.” she said at last. He nodded, unable to speak. Disappointment was clawing away at his chest.

As he strayed absently around the palace, he was constantly aware of the weight of the crystal wings. They felt as if they were burning him, so ever-present was their weight. Maybe Celestia couldnt use HER magic....but what about HIS? He was an Umbrum afterall....

“Hayy!” he jumped as he seen Pinkie and the others gathered by the main door. He hadn’t realised he'd wandered so far.

“You wanna come with us? Were going for a shopping trip then lunch!”

“The restaurants here are simply wonderful!” Rarity added.

Sombra smiled sadly and regrettably shook his head.

“Aww...” Pinkie Pie moped “you sure?”

Sombra nodded again “I appreciate it Miss Pie, but I don’t think I can leave this place just yet….”

“We understand,” Twilight Sparkle spoke up, smiling gently “don’t rush it.”

He bid them goodbye as they trotted out. Once more silence reigned in the hall. He sighed, heart sinking.

“I can't get too attached,” he lied to himself “who knows how long it’ll be before my past catches up to me?”

He turned back and headed back into the depths of the palace.

“Not joining the fun and games?” he looked up as Discord appeared floating along beside him.

“I...no.” Sombra admitted at last “I’m not sure I can go outside the palace yet.”

“You know, they all KNOW about you.” Discord told him. Sombra stopped so abruptly Discord was several meters away by the time he realised. Sombra looked white as a sheet.

“W-what?” he stammered.

“Celestia and all of us told them,” Discord said “they got the whole story. That you were woken against your will, and how you saved our asses. And their asses. If Canterlot ever forms an ass appreciation society, it’ll be in your name.”

“I see….” Sombra squeaked. This looked like it was a tad too much for him to handle.

“You'll adjust.” Discord told him, tweaking his ear. The familiar contact seemed to comfort Sombra somewhat, but he still looked dazed.

“Where are you headed now?” Discord asked.

“I wished to find a library, I need to do some research.” Sombra told him.

“Easy peasy!” Discord snapped his fingers and transported them both to Canterlot's royal library.

As Sombra roamed the shelves, he asked Discord why he hadn’t joined the girls? Discord shrugged, staring at his nails.

“Well, Flutters is a dear, but the other girls tend to constantly keep an eye on me. The whole day would be tense if I followed them around. Fluttershy has other friends besides me, afterall..”

“I see..” Sombra absorbed all this and nodded. But he was glad to have the company...

“That and I figured you'd be skulking about on your own if I let you!” Discord snickered. Sombra flushed at being caught out yet again but admitted to himself Discord had a point.

After gathering a huge stack of books he settled down to do some reading. Discord found something on the humour shelf that made him chuckle and floated in mid air reading it. He was sufficiently distracted not to see some of the book titles Sombra had picked up. Advanced transmorphing. Transformations spells in history. Books like that…

He did spot one however, labelled “high-level spells: a history”

“What do you need THAT for?” he asked.

Sombra sighed “I had hoped to find out how my magic works, in relation to normal magic. See how I transformed into that crystal me. It seems to make no sense...”

“That WAS pretty epic,” Discord admitted “you looked pretty impressive. I'd hate to be on the wrong side of you- oops.” Seeing Sombra wince, the other interpreting it with regards to his past.

“Sorry. That was tactless.” The Draconequus said sheepishly.

“It's nothing.” Sombra shook his head, and forced a smile whilest picking up a quill and sheet of paper.

Discord wondered why he kept fidgeting his wings, why didn't he just let them stretch? Recalling Celestia's concern over how Sombra had been worrying about the things, he decided to play a tiny prank on Sombra. On pretence of drifitng away to search for a replacement book, he cloaked himself and snuck up super quietly behind Sombra. Making his hand cold, he stealthily raised Sombra's cloak and, chuckling to himself, placed the cold hand against the spot where the wings melded to his back.

Sombra yelped, knocking some of the books flying as he got a shock. With a loud POMF, the wings snapped out to full size.

Discord burst out laughing.

“That is not funny!” Sombra bellowed. Discord couldn't stop himself laughing regardless.

Alerted by the noise, two guards poked thier heads round the library door. They seen Sombra glaring at Discord, big crystal wings twitching. Discord was clutching his sides, giggling away.

"Your face, its priceless!" The chaos lord laughed. Sombra glared.

“Wings? Since when did HE have those?” one guard asked as they watched the scene.

“I think it was to do with that fight, I dunno..” the other shrugged.

“You boys can skedaddle,” Discord spotted them and shooed them out the door “it was just a little prank! I didn't think it'd startle him that much!”

The guards knew Discord's penchant for causing chaos and reluctantly accepted this excuse, casting glances back at Sombra even so. The pony was trying to cram the wings back down under his cloak, his face flushed.

“Surely having wings doesn't make him royalty?” One muttered.

“Hardly likely! King of monsters maybe...” the other snorted derisively. Discord glared at their backs as they left, the urge to play a punishment prank forming-

“Don’t...” Sombra's voice reached his ears, and he looked back over at him. Sombra was making an effort to shrug it off and smile, but it was obvious it’d hurt him.

“You saved everypony's rears, and they have the nerve-” Discord grumbled. Sombra stared down at his books.

“They do not believe a monster should possess such a thing of importance, it unsettles them.” Sombra said calmly.

“Ignoramuses, what do they know about you?” the Draconequus huffed.

Sombra smiled, but it was a sad sight.

“They know what history has proven. Thank you for that, but I can understand their concern. Nothing about me has made sense so far. They're afraid, it's natural.”

He looked downcast again, so to snap him out of it, Discord scratched behind his ear like he'd done when Sombra had suffered those nightmarish panic attacks back at the start. To his relief, it made Sombra twitch and even chuckle.

“Pony ears, fun things!” Discord snickered, tweaking Sombra's.

“Cut it out!” Sombra laughed softly, some of the darkness fading from his eyes.

When Discord tried to tickle Sombra's wings again, ducking in and out of portals in the air so Sombra couldn’t catch him, the pony got wise to his tricks and aimed a tiny electric shock at the next portal when it opened. Like before, when he'd done it out in the gardens to get revenge for Discord stopping his escape, the shock was only enough to tickle.

“Hay!” Discord glowered at his defeat, and Sombra couldn’t help a laugh of his own.

After this Discord declared a truce, his sides were aching!

Hearing more of the patrolling guards voices outside, Discord had an idea.

“Be right back!” he cackled gleefully, vanishing. Sombra wondered what he was up to, but used this opportunity to copy the spell he was sure would solve his problems…

He heard two startled shrieks outside and wondered what Discord was doing? Hearing the Draconequus' laughter getting closer, he hurriedly stuffed the copied spell into the collar of his cloak.

“Oh, that was priceless...” Discord giggled. Seeing Sombra's perplexed expression he had an idea.

He used an advanced invisibility spell to hide the both of them while he showed Sombra a prank or two. Sombra found he had to laugh a LITTLE, their reactions were somewhat amusing. In fact, it was pretty hilarious.

“So THAT'S how you sound when you truly laugh!” Discord noted.

Realising he'd gotten caught up in it all, Sombra coughed and stared at the carpet. He wasn't used to dropping his guard like this. It felt oddly enjoyable…

“You'll get used to it.” Discord seemed so sure Sombra was going to be OK, the pony noted. He wished he had that kind of faith. But his future hung in the balance, both his and what remained of his race. He dreaded the return of the crystal empires rulers, the Prince and Princess.

Vorak and Haydon's observation about wings marking royal status in ponydom came to mind and made him panic silently. That and the guards reaction not an hour ago. He was no such thing, they seen him as an imposter, a monster wearing a disguise!

At that exact moment, the troubling thought took root in his mind that he couldn’t meet Cadance and Shining Armor until he'd found a way to hide them! That left only tomorrow morning...

Discord seen Sombra's guilt-ridden expression and frowned. What was eating him?

He asked Sombra, but the stallion said he just felt odd at being awake again, everything still felt strange. He'd be fine…

The next day Sombra awoke early, and set about looking for a room big enough to perform the spell in. At last, with Discord's assistance, he found a room usually reserved for meetings. It was big enough for him to perform the spell in question.

Before he began, he asked Discord if he could prank the guards to distract them, he wanted to try using his magic to make something, but was concerned the guards would flip out. Afterall, they'd gotten uneasy just at the sight of the wings, imagine what the magic would do? Dark magic had a tendency to be showy, and not in a pretty way.

He told him he was trying to make a model of the red Umbrum stone from his past memory. He felt it would be useful to be able to show it to Cadance and Shining Armor.

When Discord disappeared to lead the guards astray, Sombra felt a pang of guilt at lying to the friend he felt Discord had become. But this had to be done for Sombra's own safety, he didn’t know how long the wings would stay a secret, he had to reset his form to how it was before the transformation!

He did duly create the crystal sculpture, but his magic was back to full flow now, and it didn’t take much. Next was the REAL task.

He set the spell page in front of him, studied it until it was burnt into his retinas, then shut his eyes.

The spell circle began to glow on the floor. The interlocking rings of the spell slotted into place, and tendrils of power began to wrap around his body. He'd set his cloak aside for this, not wanting to damage it.

He bit his lip to refrain from crying out as he felt sharp stabbing pains in his back, spreading over the wings. The strength of the spell lifted him off the ground, holding him in its grip. One last flash of pain and he fell to the carpet, dazed and winded. Staggering to his feet, he looked at his back.

They were GONE. He choked back a cry of relief. He'd done it...at last-!

But barely had he taken a step outside the centre of the spell lines then he felt a jagged pain slam into his back.

“No…!” he tried to peer round, see what was happening. But found he couldn’t move, the pain was that bad now. Sparks flashed over his body-

The wings tore through his back once more, small at first but growing back to their full size once more in seconds. All Sombra could do was cry out in panic and agony, then everything went black.

Cadance and Shining Armor stepped into the main hall of the palace to see the guards running pell mell around the place, being chased by possessed vases and chairs.

“Discord!” Cadance sighed.

Discord appeared with a grin “you rang?” he sniggered.

Seeing Cadance's miffed expression he sighed and snapped his fingers, making everything go back to normal, and the objects back to their homes.

“Thank you.” Cadance said with a sigh.

“Sorry we're a little late,” Shining Armor stretched, his back clicking into place “that’s better!”

“So much traffic coming into Canterlot,” Cadance remarked “any news, is Sombra awake yet?”

“Sombra? Why yes, just a couple of days ago. Not sure he's fully recovered, he seems more spaced out then normal. Cant keep his baalnce too well,” Discord sighed “ and never mind how funny he's being about those wings of his!”

“Wings?” Shining Armor asked.

“Yes yes, when 'Tia and I retrieved his consciousness and woke him up from the crystal stasis, we discovered something was different. The wings stuck around for one reason or another! Sombra keeps them under wraps, seems he’s somewhat disturbed by them.”

“Can we see him?” Cadance asked.

“He’s just upstairs actually-” Discord was cut off as all of them heard a sharp cry, full of fear and pain, echo from somewhere above them.

“Sombra-?!” Discord recognised the ponies voice, and recalled his fear of being spotted by the guards. Had something happened? He tore off, Cadance, Shining Armor and three guards in tow. He reached the room he'd left Sombra in, kicked the door open, and they all stared at the sight in front of them.

Sombra lay collapsed in the middle of the room. His wings were sprawled at a strange angle, and they were smeared with blood. More of it was splattered across the carpet in a wide arc.

“Sweet Celestia!” one guard looked about to be sick.

“Fetch the doctor!” another yelled.

“Oh goodness...” Cadance ran over, shaking her head at the bloodied wings. “what happened here?”

“Looks like somepony else didn't take kindly to the wings either,” Shining Armor was concerned by the sudden attack “we need to find out who did this...”

Discord shook his head, hoping Sombra was alright. This looked BAD. The skin around where the wings joined was all torn up…

The doctor arrived and had the same reaction as the guards. He mopped up the worst of the bleeding, but said he needed to move Sombra to medical. Discord picked him up once more, being extremely careful not to jostle him. Even as gentle as the motion was, Cadance seen Sombra flinch in his unconscious state.

Discord didnt leave the whole time the doctor was repairing Sombra's injuries. Once the work was done, the doctor asked Discord to move Sombra to his room so he could sleep. There he set up a drip and told the Draonequus to call for him if there was any progress.

It was about an hour later that Sombra woke. Disocrd was starting to doze off.

He looked over at Sombra as the pony's eyes focused on him.

“W-whats, ah-!” Sombra hissed in pain as he tried to sit up. In the end Discord had to help him, he was very shaky.

“What happened?” Discord asked bluntly “we found you splattered in blood. Someone tried to cut your wings, who-”

"W-what?” Sombra realised Discord had the wrong end of the stick and began to panic. What was he supposed to say, nopony had-! His mind blanked in panic.

“Was it one of those two that showed up at the library? That's it-!” blood boiling, Discord shot towards the door, and Sombra realised he had to stop him. He flung himself off the bed, his back complaining about the sudden movement. He succeeded in tackling Discord, dropping them both to the floor.

“Oof!” Discord looked round at Sombra “what’s gotten into you? They’re the ones who should be afraid, not you-”

“Nopony attacked me!” Sombra blurted out at last.

“What?” Discord froze.

Sombra sat up, shaking as the confession tore itself from his throat “I was trying to fix the mistake to my pony form. I thought I’d succeeded, but then it seemed to go wrong. I-i don’t understand why, this wasn’t supposed to happen, the spell was perfect! But nopony hurt me, it was my fault!” he forced this last bit out in a rush.

He bowed his head, vision blurring as he felt the sickening sense of shame cripple his heart once more.

“But they DID hurt you, didn’t they? It drove you to feel this way...” Discord said calmly. Sombra winced, staring at the carpet.

“Why?” Discord asked softly.

“Because..” Sombra shook his head “I knew the reaction would be bad. The ponies here believe the Alicorn's are the pinnacle of what’s good about their world. I’m the last one on Equestria that should have such a gift! Don’t you see?!”

“Why didn’t you say something yesterday?” Discord tweaked Sombra's ears, at last getting the pony to raise his head, giving the upset pony an encouraging smile “silly Sombra.”

“I thought I could fix it and it'd all be OK,” Sombra whispered. “I felt free for the time you gave me reason to laugh, but this was always in the back of my mind, has been since I woke up...”

He laughed bitterly, sadness edging his voice “its ironic, isn’t it? A monster with something so beautiful...”

“Wrong.” Discord poked his nose “you WERE a monster. You saved an entire city from Scorpan. Many of them seen you in your complete form. Celestia told them you’re the inheritor to an entire race. They put two and two together, I could see it. Assuming you’re the King of your race isn’t too far fetched.”

“Please don't call me that!” Sombra gasped, the notion terrifying him “I’m no ruler to them!”

Discord lifted the pony's chin so he was looking right at him “Yet.” was all he said. Sombra made a lost, choked noise. He didn’t understand.

“You’re not a ruler to them YET,” the Draconequus repeated, letting him go “but they're YOUR people, ponies...you get me. When the time comes you'll know how to take care of them. Its the reason you were born. Its in your DNA, crystal...you get the point. I'll tell you a secret-” he scooted up close and whispered dramatically;

“'Tia told me she and Luna were scared when they were little and they came to the throne! Celestia was the same, worrying herself silly over whether she was good enough to be a ruler! She'd get into such a tizzy! And look how well SHE turned out!” he offered Sombra a grin “give yourself time, you have a lot to catch up on!”

Sombra felt a glimmer of hope. It must’ve shown in his eyes because Discord lifted him up with his tail and set him back on the bed.

“You, SLEEP. I'll go tell the doctor, it’ll save him grilling you. In fact-”

A poke on the nose and Sombra was back in the dream-land of coconuts.

From there Discord didn’t go to the doctors, instead he sought out Cadance and Shining Armor…

“I’m not getting anything,” Shining Armor shook his head “none of them know anything about the patrols near that room-”

“This is serious,” Celestia shook her head “I just hope Sombra's alright..”

“If by OK you mean so on edge he’s going to fall, then he's fine.” they turned as Discord appeared.

“What do you need, Discord?” Celestia asked. Discord stretched and sighed, then spoke;

“I know what happened to Sombra. The truth.”

All three were silenced by this.

“Please, tell us...” Celestia gestured to a seat.

Discord settled down and began to explain Sombra's story...

Author's Note

Recovery can be easily sent off track, it takes time...speaking from personal experience. :ajsleepy:

Im tired...insomnia be back!

Inheritor

All three sat there with their jaws dropped as Discord finished.

“Y-you're saying it was….a rogue spell?” Shining Armor blurted “what in the name of SANITY was he trying to do?”

“Reset the physical form. Now that I think back to that afternoon, those books he was reading must’ve been something to do with that spell..”

“Weren’t you keeping an eye on him?” Celestia looked baffled “its what you told ME.”

“Well, yes...” Discord coughed sheepishly “but i got sidetracked pulling a prank or two. The guards are so easily startled.” He shrugged, scratching at his neck “but honestly? He didn't seem unhappy. I guess he thought he'd found the answer. He seemed spaced out, but to be honest he's been that way ever since we recovered him.”

“Its true admirable progress has been made in getting through to him,” Celestia frowned, muttering to herself “but we're still talking about some serious after effects of this whole business!”

“It's really that bad?” Shining Armor said, still slightly dubious “we are still talking about the same guy as before, right?!”

Discord sighed, and snapped his fingers “let me show you my memories from when Fluttershy, myself and the others went to find him. Fair warning Princess, this isn’t pretty.”

He directed this to Cadance, who nodded.

He'd shown this to Celestia already, but even so, she still winced when she had to watch it again.

The memory of Scorpan forcefully tearing the potent magic from the pony's body. The way he threw him down like a mere toy. Then the crunch of a bone being broken.

“Sweet Celestia,” Shining Armor sputtered, feeling a bit queasy. Cadance nodded, stunned silent.

Scorpan's taunts he wasn’t done with Sombra, and the brief glimpse of total helplessness in Sombra's eyes. Even so, Shining Armor seen how Sombra refused to cave to Scorpans demands...

But he also seen what his sister had said, how Sombra had tried to a) get her to take him out and b) tried to reject her help and make her leave once he spotted she was an Alicorn. That he'd said she'd be in danger and tried, in a weird way, to protect her made Shining Armor pause.

He also seen what Discord meant. The fact that only the wards kept Sombra from retreating any further. The way he tried to scare them away from helping him. Fluttershy's kindness seemed to set him on edge, even after he realised she just wanted to splint his broken leg.

The scene ended with them all becoming Breezies and escaping.

“I feel ill..” Shining Armor hiccuped. "You've made your point..."

“It's sickening how little concern Scorpan had for life,” Cadance shook her head “It's a miracle Sombra survived all that.”

“He nearly didn’t,” Discord pointed out “he tried pushing both Celestia and I into destroying him, he really WAS that desperate at one point. Think about it, what reason did he HAVE to hope at that point? He had nowhere to go, we needed information, after that what use would we have for him? Hand him over to you? He was convinced that’d be a death sentence.”

Shining Armor realised if he hadn’t seen Sombra's efforts to defend Canterlot first hoof, he wouldn’t have believed a tyrannical ruler like Sombra was capable of such things. But the evidence Celestia had given them, plus the fact Sombra had known there was a slim to none chance he’d wake up yet he’d still given them that key, it pointed to something more to Sombra. All this made him pause for thought...

He'd replayed it over and over in his head, and he was convinced he'd witnessed from Sombra something remarkable. A sincere apology.

“So why did those wings stick around?” he asked at last.

Celestia shook her head “its not certain, but my theory is this: Sombra was living in his disguised form for so long, even when the transformation accelerated and the creator crystal showed him what he was, it was ingrained in his mind this was how he APPEARED. The release of the final form did finally set things on the new path, but the cover spell had been a part of him for so long he couldn’t imagine living without it.”

Discord nodded, he and Celestia had spent ages looking into it, re-reading Scorpan's notes.

“He was able to recover that information from his memory when we woke him from slumber, but the wings were an anomaly,” Discord explained “the cover “spell”, putting it simply, didn’t have any method to transform the wings into feathered ones, so they mimicked the full crystal appearance. That’s our theory anyway.”

“Did he not realise this?” Cadance asked.

“He seems to be lacking a lot of detailed knowledge about his own kind, I think everything he endured tore most of his memories to shreds. What little he did recall mostly related to his own change. If the knowledge is there...” the Draconequus waved a hand in the air.

“It's been buried beneath the trauma.” Cadance finished.

“Well, poop...” Shining Armor finished.

As Discord opened his mouth to add that Sombra would probably remember it eventually, there was a knock at the door. A mare with a saddlebag full of cleaning materials stuck her head round the door.

“I’m ever so sorry to interrupt your highnesses, but I found something strange under a chair while I was cleaning. Its a bit singed at the edges, but I think it's a spell.” she trotted forward and gave the paper to Celestia.

“Thank you,” Celestia smiled kindly and the mare nodded and trotted out. They all crowed round it, examining it.

“This is advanced stuff,” Cadance remarked, eyebrows raised “just what level of magic IS Sombra?”

“Honestly? Exempt from classification is my guess!” Discord mused.

“He is quite high level by normal standards.” Celestia added.

“If this is the spell he used, it should have worked...” Cadance shook her head “from what I can see, its perfect. so why did it backfire and attack him?”

“That’s what HE was wondering!” Discord shook his head “he said it should've worked, but instead it came undone.”

“Honestly, I dont think he CAN get rid of them, they're clearly an indicator of this "Infinitum" status." Celestia said with a sigh "The doctor says it will be a few days even with healing magic, before he’s able to fly again. Until then he'll have to keep them bandaged.”

“Why was he so determined to be rid of them?” Shining Armor asked Discord. The Draconequus sighed, he actually looked upset, the trio thought.

“I don’t know for sure, but I thinks its all down to perception. His AND those who've seen them.”

“How do you mean?” Cadance asked.

Discord explained what Sombra had told him, that the general perception was that the Alicorn's were the most beloved of Equestria. That a monster should bear such a thing naturally upset them. They knew what history had told them. Then he added what the two guards had said, bluntly saying they refused to even acknowledge the idea, and how Sombra had seemed oddly unfazed, yet also saddened.

“It's misguided, but I think he was trying to avoid a public relations storm.” Celestia said at last “the first thing he said on being brought to see me was “they can't be here, I know that much.”"

“So you think they’re permanent?” Cadance asked.

“It seems that way. The Umbrum prophecy is vague, I think he'd need help from his own kind to find out. Speaking of which...”

“What do we do?” Cadance said. “He s not going to like it, but after what’s been going on in our absence, we need him to come to the empire.”

“What's this?” Discord asked.

“Things appear to be accelerating, I don’t thinks Sombra's task is done yet. Breaking madness and finally unleashing the Infinitum form is just the start...” Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“Oh...” Discord winced as he realised what this might entail “he's not going to be happy.”

“Which is why I think its best we talk to him asap.” Cadance said “he has to know.”

Shining Armor nodded.

Later that evening, Discord went to speak with Sombra.

“How's the damage?” he asked.

“Painful..” Sombra sighed. He looked as dejected as he had earlier, tired eyes staring at the bedspread under his hooves.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Cadance and Shining Armor want to see you tomorrow.”

Sombra went pale and struggled to sit up. He looked about to be sick.

“They’re not here to arrest you, seriously! There’s some questions they need to ask you.” Discord motioned him to calm down.

Sombra nodded, heart sinking uneasily.

He just had to get through it…

He slept poorly that night, swamped by his own fears. Discord noticed this as he accompanied Sombra down to the throne room.

“Sure you can handle this? You look about to pass out.” the Draconequus asked.

“It has to be done.” Sombra said dully.

When they got there, besides Cadance and Shining Armor, there was also the Doctor.

“I apologise for delaying things, but I need to check the bandages...”

Sombra sat silently through the check-up, using a mere smudge of magic to hold the fluffy-lined cloak out of the way.

“Once you’re done here, come by medical, I’ll change them anyway.” the Doctor said at last “seems as though they’re healing nicely, however.”

A muted nod from Sombra.

The Doctor left and Sombra hurriedly tucked the cloak back over the wings, as if he couldn’t stand to look at them personally.

Cadance seen Discord frown at this, as if he was worried by the way Sombra refused to accept this could be permanent.

Going by the lacklustre sheen of his coat, and the bags under his eyes, she also surmised Sombra wasn't sleeping. Whether this was self-inflicted or he was still suffering from nightmares, she wasn't sure.

Struggling to pay attention, Sombra noticed a red object beside Shining Armor.

“They found this in room where that spell of yours backfired.” Shining Armor broke the silence. Sombra blinked, confusion reigning for a second, then he seemed to absorb all this and managed a vague nod. Discord must have told them the whole story.

“Discord said it has some relevance to your beginning.” Shining Armor had never seen such a drastic change. His previous contact with Sombra had been brief but disastrous. He'd been a spirit of fury and vengeance. Now, by all accounts, he was actually quite intelligent and logical. He recalled the memories Discord had shown them yesterday, and could see why Sombra was uneasy.

Prior to his rescue, most of his memories were either madness or torment.

A nod from Sombra in response to this second observation.

“Oh dear, its happened again has it?” Discord asked Sombra. The pony blinked at him, realising the Draconequus thought he’d lost his voice again and yelled at his brain to get into gear.

“She was the last.” the first words he'd spoken since the meeting began, thier tone a deep gravelly rumble.

“She?” Cadance picked up the crystal and studied it.

“Her voice was female, I remember that much. To create one of our kind took most of her power, so she lay dormant until I encountered her again.”

“You think she's still alive or aware?” Shining Armor studied the pony as a confused expression settled on Sombra's face.

“I don’t know. Even communicating with me a second time was too much. Probably why she couldn't control me when the full abilities woke up. No doubt her plan was to gradually show me what was needed, but she wound up unleashing them all. Combine that with a childish mentality and you have a disaster.”

He literally face-hoofed, shoulders slumping in sheer exhaustion. What he said next was spoken with such a blunt honesty and edged with such defeat that it startled everypony, even Discord, who'd gotten used to Sombra's trauma-induced melancholy. Sombra used this self-destructive manner of thinking to shield himself from getting too hopeful. He was very guarded, almost dangerously so. So secluded by his fears he couldnt see the damage it was doing to him...

“All the destruction...I never should have been created.”

“Beg pardon?!” Discord sputtered indignantly, zooming up to him and snagging the hoof pressed to Sombra's head and lifting it aside so he could see Sombra's exhausted red eyes. Seen that familiar look in them, how close he was to falling.

"Thats enough!" He practically scolded him. Sombra fell silent, blinking.

Discord continued “Yes, I’ll admit you went SPECTACULARLY mad, silly Sombra, but from what you've told Celestia, it wasn’t on purpose. I cant imagine, if I got a huge jolt of chaos magic to the brain when I was little, that id have retained all my marbles. It was unfortunate the next time you met her was after one of the worst days of your young life. You thought you'd been abandoned by the one pony that'd been a REAL parent to you in that time. I wouldn't blame you for being angry.”

Sombra couldn't say anything, but he was torn between believing his friend and following his own belief that a monster like him wasn’t deserving of forgiveness.

Discord could see all this written on Sombra's face, he could read him like a book...

“All you had to hoof was an order to revive the Umbrum. That, plus a wibbly-wobbly mental state, and a few wires got crossed up here,” he tapped Sombra's head “clearly the damage wasn’t permanent, you’re sound as a bell now by all accounts! Buck up, hm?” an idle scratch behind Sombra's right ear made the stallion's guilt-ridden expression soften a little.

This surprised Shining Armor. Both the emotional range Sombra was displaying, but also the way he seemed to have forged a connection with the former chaos villain. Discord seemed to have a definite loyalty to the lost and bemused Umbrum. He alone seemed capable of guiding Sombra out of the pitfalls he kept stumbling blindly into, pits dug by his nightmares and what he'd endured. Offering him something unmoving he could rely on.

When he seen Sombra relax after Discord scratched behind his ear, he snuck a hoof towards Cadance's ear….

Cadance jumped, but smiled when her husband gave her a goofy grin.

“Later..” she mouthed with a smile.

“All good?” Discord queried. Sombra took a deep breath and managed a nod. He felt back on solid ground once more, and was swamped by a surge of relief. He had to fight it....

This gave the other two clearance to approach.

“We found a book..” Shining Armor and Cadance approached Sombra. Discord settled close by, as if he was guarding his friend.

“Its in an unknown language, nopony was able to translate it….” Cadance explained as Sombra took the book from Shining Armor. He flicked through the pages, and Discord seen a faint spark behind the mask.

“Its that language again...” he said softly. Seeing so much of it, he recognised it, UNDERSTOOD IT…

A sharp stabbing pain in his head had him dropping the book and huddling over as what felt like a severe storm of needles attacked his brain. Flashes of memory flooded in, and he was dimly aware of something clicking into place. Many things, words and phrases that felt as natural to him as regular speech. There was so much of it...

“What's wrong Sombra?” Discord frowned “I’ll get the doctor-”

“NO, there's...no need..” Sombra said shakily, opening his eyes at last. He focused on the book once more. Picking it up, he took a deep breath before saying “it makes sense now...”

“You can understand it?” Shining Armor asked, impressed.

“No doubt the knowledge from the awakening included the native language. Lost until now.” Sombra's voice sounded more sure, even curious. He sped through the books pages.

“Most of this is just confirming what I can remember, the red crystal, the takeover..but this bit..” he set the book down, indicating multiple pages written in hurried, messy writing.

“You have terrible writing.” Discord squinted at the mess.

“I think it was a stray memory burst, seems as if I was trying to get it all down before it faded. Or became corrupted.” he looked pale again.

“Maybe we SHOULD call the doctor-?” Cadance began, but Sombra shook his head.

“The memories are uncomfortable when they re-assert themselves. It will abate shortly.”

“What?” Shining Armor had gotten slightly lost in Sombra's formal speech.

“They give him a headache, but it clears off in short order.” Discord translated smugly. Shining Armor stuck his tongue out at him.

“Maturity in motion..” Cadance sighed. She heard a barely audible snigger and glanced quickly at Sombra, seeing he was suppressing a chuckle. It seemed Discord was also able to make him laugh, or even relax at all!

--Talk about your typical odd couple. They seem like the last two that would befriend one another. But perhaps they share similarities in thier past actions?--

“What does it say?” Discord asked. Sombra frowned, and murmured “I have an idea..”

He set the book down and closed his eyes…

A hologram sprung up between him and the two royals. It showed a flat 2D plane, with the wastes to one end, and the empire the other.

“The Umbrum lived deep within the wastes, but being so isolated, they began to dwindle in number, supplies becoming so scarce they bordered on starvation..” pony shaped shadows appeared in the wastes “so they banded together to search for a solution. En mass they took to the skies, and soon came upon the empire. But the empire must’ve known they were coming...”

A bright blue flash swept out from the empire, and the shadow ponies faces contorted in sheer pain.

“The empire unleashed that light, which caused them such agony. They were under attack, so they disregarded any hope for a peaceful new home, and launched at attack on the palace. But the blue light, coming from a heart shaped jewel, was used to imprison them, deep beneath the castle. Only one escaped..”

It showed a reddish coloured shadow escaping to the wastes, where she curled up and turned into a crystal.

“And she bided her time, waiting until the long-lost prophecy, their last hope, could be created. The infinite shadow...”

The scene faded, and Sombra shut off his magic.

“Well….whoops?” Shining Armor hazarded a second later.

“They set the heart off even though the Umbrum weren’t close enough to considered a threat?” Discord frown “that’s odd. The empire's never struck me as being THAT paranoid.”

“Does it say anything else?” Cadance asked Sombra. He flipped to the next page, where the writing had degenerated into random words.

“Just a few scattered words. “Colourful light” “streamers” “flags at every corner.”” he realised a second later-

“That’s the faire...” Cadance met his eyes, seeing the exact same conclusion there “the heart is powered up and unleashed to mark the start of the party. The empires flag is flown at every shop. I followed the same rules that were in the empire's books when I took over.”

“They thought it was an attack because it hurt so much.” Sombra got up and summoned a bigger version of the same memory-scape, showing the empire, Umbrum and a tiny crystal heart.

“It caused them to frenzy, probably caused a significant amount of damage.”

Sombra shivered as he recalled his own destruction at its power.

The little heart pulsed and met the approaching Umbrum head on. They grew angry, and swarmed towards the empire. The heart shone again and the Umbrum became crystal in a basement room, sealed behind powerful wards.

“Unbelievable!” Discord floated next to Sombra, who looked as stunned by this as everypony else was.

“It was...”

“A misunderstanding...” Shining Armor finished.

“They didn’t know the empire had such a power, and the empire didn’t know they were coming there for help.” Sombra sat down with a bump. “neither was aware of the other...”

“That’s why the heart didnt have the same effect on YOU,” Discord poked Sombra's head, getting the pony’s attention “'Tia said it caused immense pain when you were close to it, that you were in bed for days. Perhaps after the rest of your kind endured its power during that attack, you inherited a minor immunity? Explains why the worst these displays did in the past was cause agonizing pain, rather than madn-oops.” An apologetic tweak of the ears "Me and my big mouth!"

He zipped it literally, hoping for a chuckle.

“It matters not.” Sombra said dryly “it was what it was.”

He sighed softly a second later though, “one thing concerns me, however...”

“What’s that?” Shining Armor asked.

“If the heart was capable of accelerating insanity and causing that much pain to my kind, to ME, how do I know they’re not STILL in that state, just sleeping?”

“You don’t know that, maybe their time in sleep has changed things?” Discord removed the zip and tried to be cheerful, but Sombra didn’t look like he believed it.

“Maybe I should let them sleep...” he murmured.

Another ear tweak. But no smile this time. Discord felt bad for him, and hoped he hadn’t just given up on saving his race.

“I’m afraid it may be too late...” Shining Armor got Sombra's attention “when we came back, we had reports from the staff that they’ve been seeing ghosts. Shadowy ghosts.”

Sombra looked stunned “shadows..?”

“Yes. It started right from the day you defeated Scorpan. The day Celestia tells us the Infinitum form was awakened. I think the prophecy is going ahead.” Cadance took a deep breath and posed the most important question “and we need you to help. If they’re waiting for you, we need to go back to the empire as soon as possible.”

“Go, back…?” Sombra looked a bit nauseous at the idea.

Cadance nodded.

Sombra reverted back to his “cant string more then a few words together” mode, and pretty much nodded his way through the arrangement to leave asap.

He did manage to request, if possible, it be under cover of darkness. He didn’t want a riot starting.

Cadance made to point out that the empire already KNEW. She and Shining Armor had already told them. Yes there'd been freak outs, but upon being told Sombra had saved their precious Prince and Princess AND asked they convey his apology to them, the citizens had been stunned. Cadance and Shining Armor had followed this up by telling the citizens what they’d learnt about Sombra's past.

But Discord caught her eye and mouthed “best not”. Sombra was still struggling with a lot of things.

But he decided to accompany Sombra to the empire. He figured the troubled stallion could use a friend.

Sadly, the rest of the girls couldn't join them straight away, but they promised they be there asap!

The bandages around Sombra's wings were changed one last time before they left the next day, but the Doctor said they were healed near completion. Whatever strange magic Sombra possessed, it seemed to be there to look after him, as he hadn’t seen an enhanced case of healing like this in years.

Needless to say, Sombra was on edge as they prepared to depart. Shining Armor and Cadance travelled in one train coach, Sombra and Discord in another.

Discord could see Sombra's exhaustion written all over the pony’s face.

“When did you sleep properly last?” he queried. Sombra blinked, fuzzily focusing on him before struggling to answer.

“I uh...a couple days?” he hedged.

“That wasn’t even a complete sentence. You’re exhausted.”

Sombra nodded, eyes half-closed, nodding off even as Discord spoke. He leaned across and tapped Sombra's nose.

“Sleep a while, I'll wake you once we get there...”

And thus Sombra passed the trip curled up atop the train seating.

He looked so peaceful, a rare thing for one as strung out as Sombra was, that Discord hated having to wake him.

Sombra stared blearily at him, before he realised.

“We're here...” he said, his stomach churning.

Discord tweaked his ear, saying nothing. What could he say? Sombra was afraid of what’d happen once the empire realised he was here again, wasn't he?

A squad of guards met them, they'd been briefed on Sombra's arrival, and thus didn’t bat an eyelid. Sombra barely noticed them, something was calling on the edge of his awareness. He tried to ignore it, until ti became too great, and he came to a halt abruptly, peering off into the snow.

“Sombra?” Cadance asked “something wrong?”

Discord poked him, no response. Tweaked his ear. Nada.

Then Sombra was suddenly off and running, gaze set dead ahead.

“After him!” the guards bellowed. Discord realised they thought Sombra was trying to do a runner, but HE didn’t think so...

He sped ahead of them, keeping pace with Sombra, then he spotted it. A faded red crystal.

Sombra came to a halt, snapping back to himself.

“HALT!” One guard shouted.

“Oh shut up!” Discord snapped “this is what he was after, not a quick escape...”

“Is that?” Shining Armor panted, as he and Cadance caught up.

“It's the same stone he recreated from his memory..” Cadance whispered “it IS still here...”

“I don’t think it has anything left...” Shining Armor wondered. Sombra seemed to have reached the same worried conclusion. He sat down in front of the crystal, and shook his head subtly.

“Dang it..” he snarled. He let a hoof come to rest upon it, closing his eyes in regret…

The others seen a faint spark run down Sombra's hoof, some of the stones colour coming back.

Sombra opened his eyes, and when he seen the change, he gave it a little of his power, hoping against hope-

The guards tensed, seeing Sombra using his magic, but Shining shook his head. Somehow he knew this wasnt dangerous to them.

At last its colour was as vibrant as the statue Sombra had created of it.

“Is it alive?” Discord asked.

“I think-” Sombra said, throat dry.

It let out a burst of red light, and then there stood a semi-transparent pony before them. Like Sombra's crystal form, she was made entirely of Umbrum crystal. She took in the stallion staring in shock at her, and she smiled.

Sombra got a shock as she suddenly threw her forelegs around him, embracing him warmly.

“You’re alive!” she whispered “I’d almost given up hope...”

“Its been a thousand years...” Sombra said softly “you’ve been waiting all this time?”

“My power was almost gone, but now you’re here. There is hope for us yet...”

She let him go and stepped back, teary eyed “its so good to see you again child, even if you’ve long outgrown my guidance.”

“What IS she?” one guard said to another.

“An Umbrum,” Shining Armor said “the only one to escape a long time ago..”

Like any concerned mother, she took in her exhausted child’s appearance.

“You’ve grown now, Infinitum...”

Sombra winced as she spoke that word. She moved the cloak aside and frowned when she seen the bandaged wings.

“What did this?” she asked.

“It was my own fault,” Sombra said dully “I...I tried to get rid of them.”

“Oh child, why?” she asked softly, seeing he looked so downcast “this is what you were destined for. Now we can all be together, all of your kind. They need you to guide them.”

“I’ve made too many mistakes,” Sombra whispered, looking at this version of his...well, she was technically his mother, “I’m no guide to them.”

“I know what happened child, I picked up on the magic of the Princesses as they returned home. With it came memory of what had transpired. It is the last memory I have. I'm so sorry...”

“Why do YOU apologise? I'm the one who destroyed any chance the Umbrum had. I'm so sorry...”

“No, it is not all yours to bear! I tried to teach you too much too soon, I should have seen how upset you were. Your whole world had come crashing down, it was more than a young mind could handle, and things spun out of control.”

“What….what do I do now?” Sombra asked.

“Keep going. They're waiting for you. You must quell their anger. I sense you have a way to appease the fury of the past, what happened to us.” she sounded sad and angry, and spared a brief glance at the others before focusing back on Sombra.

“It wasn't an attack,” Sombra told her “piecing together the memory you gave me, plus what the Princess knows of the empire now, I realise what happened. The blast that caused such anguish wasn’t an attack, it was the crystal heart. The faire...”

He gave her a brief explanation of what he'd learnt, how the blast that'd sent them into a berserker rage had been released not in attack, but in celebration.

“I see...” the mother crystal had tears in her eyes “we were wrong? But it hurt us so much...”

“It still does. Its not as bad as what you suffered, but the heart still hurt me. When I returned to the empire as my adult form, I took the heart hostage. But being so close to it, with my mind already fraying at the edges, it undid what little sanity I had left. I lost my mind, turned into a monster. And to this day I remain.”

She placed a hoof on his cheek, her kind eyes peering into her child’s “promise me you will stop punishing yourself child. I placed too much upon you, you were the last hope. I could not create another, so all hope was pinned on you. Nopony should have to bear such a weight, I am partly to blame for what happened. I could not give you all the support you should have had...”

Sombra's vision blurred and he shut his eyes “I don’t remember the prophecy, mother...” he said softly “my memory, it's...fractured...”

“The Umbrum will awaken from darkness, lead by their King. He will be their guide, ushering in a new age for those born in shadow..”

Sombra's heart sank “...King?”

She nodded, “the infinite shadow King...” she nodded to the wings “those are the mark of who you are. Long ago the first Umbrum rulers bore wings, so the legends say. And those same legends forsaw one would rise again when we needed him most. And here you are-”

“NO!” Sombra gasped, shaking his head “don’t you see it? I'm no ruler to the Umbrum...”

“Yet.” she said softly. Sombra blinked, a sense of deja vu hitting him.

“Told you.” Discord said smugly, but not unkindly. Sombra glanced from his mother to the Draconequus.

“B-but...” he stammered.

“It's all there,” his mother smiled lovingly at her lost and confused son “all that’s needed to save them is in you, no matter what you might think of yourself, I know you can get it right my child...”

“I've been trying to tell him that, but he's a bit stubborn.” Discord stage-whispered to the mother crystal.

She smiled warmly, sensing this odd creature was her long lost sons friend.

“Go on child, go with your friends, I will be here.”

“Can't we take your back with us?” Discord asked.

“I can be fully awoken, but only once the others are free. Once their safety is assured, I can relinquish my duty as guardian of their memories..”

Sombra looked unhappy at this, so she nudged his cheek affectionately.

“Its alright,” she whispered “you'll make us proud, I know you will. Just have faith in yourself.”

She hugged him one last time, and for the first time Sombra returned the gesture. Despite being made of crystal, she felt solid and warm and he felt a pang of loss at the childish self he'd so callously discarded. Then she vanished back into the red crystal.

“You gave her enough power,” Discord said, seeing Sombra looking unsure “she will be alright until you come back.”

At last Sombra reluctantly turned away from the red crystal, tucking his soft fur-lined cloak around his body once more.

During all this, Cadance, Shining Armor and the guards had been watching this, seeing their crystal greet Sombra so kindly, seen her worry as she seen the haunted look in his eyes.

Sombra remained lost in thought as they reached the outskirts of the empire, where carriages waited to drive them to the palace.

“It feels so strange...” Sombra murmured as they drove through the empire's streets.

“How so?” Discord asked.

“Seeing another like me,” Sombra smiled sadly “she's just as I remember her. My...mother.”

“She was happy to see you, as any mother would be,” Discord said “but she was right, you DO need to have more faith.”

“How can I-” Sombra cut off as the guards announced they were here. His stomach churned and he gave an uneasy sigh. Pulling the hood of his cloak up so his face was hidden at least, he stepped out of the carriage, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. Discord drifted alongside him, and he found his friends presence reassuring.

The staff greeted the Prince and Princess, but secretly they all snuck glances at the cloaked Sombra, who gazed studiously at a point in the distance. Something felt odd, like it was edging into his thoughts, calling to him. He gave a little shiver which went largely unnoticed. Those that did see it just assumed it was from the cold of the trip there.

“This way.” Cadance said to Sombra, showing him where the room he was to be staying in was located.

Sombra set the saddlebags he'd been given by the door. Twilight Sparkle had presented them to him, saying he should open them once he was at the empire. She and the girls had prepared some things for him…

Cadance was about to ask Sombra if he would prefer to have dinner in his room, if he didn’t feel comfortable joining the others when;

“YEEEEKK!” a terrified scream echoed from somewhere below. Sombra twitched, the odd feeling was growing stronger.

“What was THAT?” Discord asked. They all ran out into the hall, where a petrified servant was running towards them.

“What happened?” Cadance asked. She could hear more screams now she focused on the sound…

“The ghosts your highness!” the petrified mare cried “they’re real! There's so many-!” she swooned dead away.

“Whoops..” Discord said, as Cadance called two of the guards to take care of her.

He glanced at Sombra, seeing the pony was tense, ears perked up, listening to something…

Cadance was heading in the direction of the screams. Sombra raced after her, the urge to locate this OFF feeling unstoppable now.

As they approached, more terrified ponies babbled about ghosts. The trio charged in. Shining Armor was already there along with the guard, trying in vain to fight off-

Sombra came to a halt, seeing what appeared to be a tornado of shadowy bodies swirling above the rooms occupants. Every so often one broke away to dive at the guards before zooming back to its fellows.

Sombra seen the guard scatter at this latest attack, and on seeing another breaking away to target a stray unicorn guard he ran forward, throwing a shield up behind him as he came to a halt in front of the tornado of fury. Sealing himslef in with them.

The shadowy missile hit the shield, and snarled, its vaguely equine shape restoring as it whirled on the one who'd stepped in.

Sombra yelped and threw himself aside as the shadow dive bombed HIM next.

“Stop!” he cried uselessly “why are you so angry?”

But the only answer he got was a screech of fury, and this time the next attack hit him, driving him to the carpet. Shaking his head, ears ringing, he got up again. They couldn’t understand him, why? Weren't they his kind?

He recalled his mothers words, and realised there may be a reason why they attacked him too..

--This “temporary” form is muffling my magical signature, they think I’m just another pony. Their fury is too great to sense I’m one of them. I have only one choice!--

His heart sank, but he knew he had to do it.

As he looked up, he seen another two diving for him, all fury and shadow. He shut his eyes, hoping this was the right thing-

Those safe outside of Sombra's shield stared as Sombra closed his eyes, seeming unafraid of the incoming attack. He removed the cloak and tossed it aside. His entire body glowed brightly-

With the sound of tearing fabric, the bandages were torn to shreds and Sombra's wings unfolded to their full size. The transformation came to an end, once more he resembled the crystal form shining and Cadance had seen that day, fighting Scorpan. But he wasn’t done, a wave of light pulsed from the core of the Umbrum's body, casting fractal reflections over the entire room as it washed over the raging shadows. For a moment everything grew blinding, then silence fell.

When the light cleared, the spectator ponies jaws dropped. Some were astonished at the sight of the crystal Alicorn, others at the change in the once furious shadows.

They looked like ghostly pony's still, but their forms were more defined, and their expressions were of curiosity and happiness instead of anger.

“Please!” Sombra stepped forward, his voice echoing in the room “listen to me!"

The swarm of Umbrum's looked down, seeing this shimmering pony looking up at them. Their eyes took in the wings and horn, the sense of power he exuded, and they cried out in joy. Some flew down to examine him closer, others just hugged each other in delight.

Whispers like wildfire raced around, those outside the shield could pick out a word or two.

“It's HIM..”

“Infinitum, he's real..”

“Our guide...”

Sombra stayed perfectly still as the less shy ones flew round, examining his wings, horn and face. Some cried, transparent tears gathering in their eyes as they realised this was the prophecy they’d been dreaming about.

“What’s going on?” one of the lead guards managed to talk at last, staring at the Prince and Princess in shock “just what is that lunatic?”

“Its a long story, solider,” Shining said curtly “one you and the others WILL be given once this is over. What you are witnessing is a very old prophecy finally coming to light...”

“Are you here to save us?” one that seemed to have been designated the leader floated up to Sombra, her eyes curious.

Sombra nodded, suddenly unsure what to say.

“Save us?” one of the more flighty ones glanced around “where are we-?”

When they spotted the crystal ponies, many became anxious and some angry. They tried to push against Sombra's shield.

“STOP!” Sombra said sharply, and at the sound of his voice they all paused, turning their attention back to him.

“But they are the reason we became trapped!” one cried.

More voices broke out, as their recollection of the past returned.

“They imprisoned us!”

“All we wanted was help, we were so hungry!”

“That burning light-” many began to cry in anguish as they recalled it. More hammered at the shield, wanting vengeance of some kind, any kind!

“Can he handle them?” Shining Armor murmured.

“It's in his blood,” Discord said, munching from a box of popcorn as he spoke “that silly Sombra will find a way!”

Unsure what else to do, Cadance snagged a few kernels and munched anxiously on them.

Sombra closed his eyes, summoning the same image he'd shown Cadance and Shining Armor.

“Let me tell you the real story...” he spoke calmly, and the unhappy Umbrum seemed soothed by his presence. Those clamouring for payback turned from the shield at their Infinitum's voice.

Sombra told the tale as he understood it. How the light that’d hurt so hadn’t been a deliberate attack. That the crystal hearts power was one of immense strength, and was unleashed at the faire by the kingdoms ruler.

“The shards of memory the red crystal granted me showed what I believe were festival decorations. To celebrate the empire's happiness, they power up the heart and let its power loose to cover the empire and all around.”

“The pain...” one sobbed.

“Our kind cannot handle its magic,” Sombra raised a hoof to brush away the tears “it is far too strong for us to tolerate. When it hit you, the pain was so great, anger took over and a brief war was raged. Ultimately you were sealed away. They were defending their home...”

“We just wanted help...” another cried. Sombra turned to that one and nudged the sobbing ponies muzzle with his own, an affectionate gesture learned from his mother.

“It was an honest mistake,” he said gently “I believe this is the truth. After everything was over, only one was spared. She left the empire to put her faith and power into a prophecy that would save all of you.”

“Umbrum Ad Infinitum.” the whisper raced around the group of shadows.

“Have you come to free us?” they asked, hopeful eyes fixed on Sombra “are you the one the story speaks of, our King?”

Sombra felt a punch to the gut at those words. For a moment he froze, but after a moments battle, he smiled. The closer shadows were surprised however, to see tears in this pony's eyes.

“No, I’m not. I'm just a guide. It is YOUR choice who you choose to lead you. You will find one deserving of your dedication. All this will come in time...”

Some shared confused glances, wasn’t the Infinitum supposed to be their King? Why was their saviour crying even as he smiled so warmly?

Sombra closed his eyes, forcing the desire to let the floodgates open to fade. He opened his eyes, still managing to smile. He knew he wasn't deserving of being their ruler, but he would find them one who WAS. But, why did he feel so broken after saying so? Wasn't it for the best that he never govern any kingdom again?

“There is much to do, there is not yet a safe haven for all of you. But one will be found, I promise.” he looked at the shadow ponies clustered around him, feeling so at home with these shadows, those like him.

“But...are they going to seal us again?” one asked, looking at Cadance and the others. Cadance decided to speak.

“We aren’t going to hurt you,” she said gently “Sombra showed us what happened. The old writings told us of the horrible misunderstanding.”

She pressed a hoof to her chest and bowed her head “my name is Princess Cadance, this is my husband, Prince Shining Armor.”

“They’re the ones that saved the empire after the bad times.” Sombra felt another wave of nausea, recalling the mistakes he'd made. It felt as if keeping the wide crystal wings raised was hurting. But the Umbrum seemed to be comforted by them. He could feel one of the ghosts, a small one, was sat on his back. Probably a child…

“We aren’t going to hurt you.” Shining Armor said gently “you deserve a second chance, after your first was mistakenly denied you.”

“It will take time, but I promise you wont be forgotten,” Sombra promised the spirits “how many of you are there?”

“Many hundreds,” the lead Umbrum looked at Sombra as she spoke “we are the strongest, we were able to pull free from the crystal confinement, but we cannot create a solid body like yours...”

“You will soon, and then you'll be able to see the world how it really is.” Sombra smiled.

“Have you seen it?” the little one atop his back asked, Sombra nodded, and they clamoured to know. So he showed them the memories of Canterlot, the beautiful skyline, the pegasi steering clouds. Flashbacks to the funny memories of the 6 young mares throwing that party for him. And of Discord's pranks on the guards.

The little one giggled and clapped her hooves at these.

“Where is everypony else?” Sombra asked. They pointed to an opening in the wall. Sombra followed rough-hewn crystal stairs down below, into a big cavern. The room was full wall to wall with crystals.

As if sensing the Infinitum's presence, the crystals began to glow softly.

“They know you’re here for them..” the same Umbrum mare smiled at Sombra “they’ve been waiting so long, but now they have hope again.”

“I will find you all a home,” Sombra looked at the crowd of Umbrum floating around him “but I don’t know how long it will take. There is much to build, to create, I want it to be perfect. But I beg your forgiveness in that I must ask you to wait a little longer?”

The Umbrum lead smiled kindly and surprised Sombra by hugging him. Despite being spirits, he could feel them just subtly, their faint touch. The little one snuggled up on his back, the way they angled and examined the wings.

“We have waited thus far in solitude, now we know you are here, we can wait a little longer. You've given us hope, that is worth all the time in the world.”

“I will give you a promise.” Sombra closed his eyes, and summoned a silver chain bearing a red crystal, this he gave to the lead who'd been speaking to him thus far. Soon as it touched her it become as insubstantial as her body, so she could wear it.

“This is a magic I learnt from Princess Celestia. Its a promise, one that will not be forgotten, that spell will see to it.”

Murmurs of curiosity swept over the gathered Umbrum.

“Thank you.” she said softly.

“What is your name?” Sombra asked.

“Excel.” she smiled “It means “to strive” in our language.”

“It's beautiful,” Sombra said softly “I’d like to learn all of your names once your home is ready.”

Excel nodded, they all looked so happy. They had their guide, their saviour. And most wonderful of all they had hope, a PROMISE.

“I will return shortly, and hopefully I’ll have some answers...” Sombra told them “until then, I have two tasks for you.” He closed his eyes again, gathering the memory of what’d happened to him and the empire. All of it, both the re-awakening and the pain of his past actions, and he compressed it into a little ball that he handed to Excel.

He also added in the memory of the book he'd written, where he'd spilled the whole truth as he'd been given it by his mothers memory.

“Watch this, in its entirety, and you will understand. And I hope you will forgive me. Second, from amongst yourselves I need you to choose the one you wish to be your ruler. Its only right you make this decision, it is yours by right.”

Excel nodded, but wondered what was making their beloved Infinitum look so sorrowful?

“As is your wish, infinitum,” she vowed “we will gather in slumber and do as you wish. Please, come to see us soon...”

“I promise.”

“Just one question Infinitum. What is your name?”

“It's Sombra.” the Alicorn said with a sad smile. He missed the wide-eyed glances that raced around the gathering, looks of wonder and hope.

“'Sombra',” Excel smiled “do you know what it means?”

Sombra shook his head.

“It means “wise shadow”, it's fitting for our Infinitum.”

Sombra smiled, but couldn’t help think of the irony.

At last he had to bid hem goodnight. Some were crying in joy as they swept back into the crystals lining the wall, they glanced back at him and the little one waved.

Once they were calm, and Sombra detected they could no longer sense him, he let himself finally collapse to the cold stone floor. Waves of dizziness, guilt and worry hit him like a tidal wave. He found it impossible to move, fighting to keep his emotions suppressed was fight enough.

But after a few minutes he managed to get to his hooves and stagger back up the steps where the others were clustered around the doorway.

“Are they alright?” Cadance asked, concerned by the conflict beneath Sombra's mask.

He nodded, relief taking over briefly “yes, they are content to wait for their chance to become reality. I want to find them somewhere to live.”

“We'll get right on it, there’s plenty of land that lies unclaimed, I’m sure Celestia will give you whatever help you need.” Shining Armor said.

“They’re not angry…?” Cadance asked “I will admit it startled me at first.”

“It was a long held grudge, but they have chosen to trust what I have told them. I have given them the information they are owed, about the past, and about me.”

Discord seen the look in his eyes at those words. He made to question Sombra, but the pony staggered on his hooves, he looked ready to pass out.

“I need to lie down.” he mumbled thickly.

They accompanied him to his room, but only Discord hung around after they left. Thus he was still there when the barricade dropped and Sombra let out a shaken cry from his place curled up on the bed.

“Why did you lie to them?” he asked. Sombra yelped, sitting upright and staring at him in surprise.

“I-I don’t know what you mean-” he stammered, but the way his face flushed made it obvious.

“You’re a crap liar, silly Sombra..” Discord dead-panned. Sombra fell silent, unsure what to say next.

“I told you before...” Sombra said at last, guilt getting the better of him once more “I’m no ruler to them-”

Discord poked his nose, and cut him off once more.

“And I said “YET”, don’t you remember? Even your mother said it, its your destiny to lead them. I get it, you’re scared. You made a mistake in the past, you’re afraid it'll repeat itself.”

He floated back, and summoned a snapshot from his memory, how Sombra had smiled as he comforted the lost and scared Umbrum, the way they so happily embraced him.

“In this one instance I seen, heck, we ALL seen, how much you care for your own people. Your place is at their heart, even they instinctively know it.”

“I..” Sombra rubbed at his face and hiccuped briefly, the worry upsetting his stomach severely “I gave them my memory, of who I am, what I did. I want them to understand, I’m sick of hiding it. I gave them the choice of whom they desired to rule them, they deserve that much.”

“So whatever choice they make, you will accept it?” Discord asked. Sombra frowned.

“Of course, I promised I’d help them.” he said “I’m going to guide them as best I can, until they find their footing...”

“Then no matter what they choose, you'll honor it?” Discord asked again.

“I already told you, that is my exact intention!” Sombra looked confused.

“Just making sure,” the Draconequus said calmly “afterall, you may not expect what they decide.”

“Wha...I..” Sombra shook his head, he was too exhausted to follow Discord's confusing lecture.

“Go to sleep, hm?” Discord suggested, before vanishing from sight. Sombra curled up under the covers, closing his eyes and falling into a mercifully dreamless sleep…

Author's Note

Coconuts. Sorry for the delay, things have been rough, been sick. :pinkiesick:

Return of the King?

As their saviour slept, the Umbrum pored over everything he'd given them. They gathered together and witnessed his memories. They seen the reason he'd been so sorrowful, why he'd been crying. Understood why he'd denied his place as their ruler, instead offering the choice to them.

They read the pages of his diary in the memory, seen he was telling the truth. It'd all been a deeply regrettable accident, mistaken as an act of war, not the actions of desperate shadow ponies in intense pain. The hearts light had been a celebration, not an attack…

The next morning the Umbrum came together to gather the magic that had been restored in part by Sombra's spell. In clearing their hatred, he'd also given a part of himself, a part of his power. The littlest one was given the power to show her form, and a box to bring to Sombra. It held the decision he'd asked them for…

And so the little pegasus filly made of the same crystal as Sombra's infinitum form, snuck out of the crystal cavern. Past the sleepy guards who'd been there all night, and out into the palace.

She stared in shock at how pretty the palace was! The world was so so big, and so pretty! She temporarily forgot about her task as she zoomed around the palace in stunned amazement. New sights and sounds were around every corner...

“Hay, halt!” a guard finally clocked a tiny crystal pony whizzing about balancing a box on it's back and bellowed for her to stop. She got such a fright that she zoomed off, dropping the box in the chaos.

While he was checking to make sure his normal form was back in place, and the wings were wrapped up by a white silken ribbon, Sombra heard a faint shriek whiz past where his room was situated. Curious, he stuck his head out the door but the sound was gone. Then a guard came running up seconds later, out of breath.

“What was that sound?” Sombra asked him.

“It was a child, sir,” the guard shook his head and nodded at the wings folded and tied to Sombra's sides “she was as see through as those!”

“Crystal? Oh, buck.” Sombra swore, grabbing his new cloak and slinging it on “where did she go?”

“That way-!” The guard was left in the dust as Sombra shot off, a look of panic on his face.

As he ran, Sombra tapped into his Umbrum abilities to reach out for the tiny thread of magic the little one had to be emitting. At last finding the fading trail, he followed it outside…

Cadance was giving a speech to the empires citizens, who'd gathered outside the castle. It was a part two to the speech she'd made concerning Sombra less than a week earlier. She told them now of the misunderstanding, how the Umbrum weren't violent, they'd simply been driven crazy by pain. That their anger had been appeased by Sombra, who'd promised to find them a home.

“Right now, we're looking on the maps to find a place where an entire civilization can start anew, after so long asleep-!”

Suddenly a small filly popped up on the podium, wings buzzing franticly. Whispers abounded as they spotted she was made of crystal, who was she?

“Hi!” she said, then spotted Cadance's pretty crown “ooh, shiny!” she cooed.

“Well hello-” Cadance had to chuckle “where’d you come from?”

“The crystal!” she said simply, beaming up at the Princess “I was sent to find Infini....iflibum!”

“Infinitum? Sombra?” Cadance asked, the kid nodded.

The crowd stared, so THIS was an Umbrum pony? She looked like a living ornament, shining in the sun.

“Lets see...he should be in his room-”

“Little one-!” a voice cried out, sounding out of breath. The little child peered round Cadance, seeing Sombra atop the temporary stage. He hesitated at the edge of it, stomach dropping at the sight of the crowd. The whispers grew in intensity, and he had to close his eyes a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them.

“Found you!” the filly cheered “I gotta give a message, everypony asked me to!” she sounded proud of this honour, eyes sparkling.

“There you are!” Cadance smiled at the little filly “but you shouldn’t wander too far, you could get lost!”

“I’m sorry pretty lady!” the kid giggled.

“I’m Princess Cadance, what’s your name?” the amused Princess asked.

“My name is Firefly your majesty!” the kid said proudly. Sombra smiled, seeing the little Umbrum introducing herself to a Princess so sweetly. The surrounding crowd seen the smile, how content he looked.

It was just like their princess had said, he wasn’t the same any more. She'd said he just wanted a secluded life, to guide this fledgling clan of his. The remarkable abilities he had were for protecting his ponies!

They were stunned into wondering silence as they contemplated this once terrifying creature. But he didn’t even seem to notice them, his attention on the happy little Umbrum relishing her freedom and chattering to Cadance!

What Sombra or the crowd failed to notice was one group of ponies in particular. During Sombra's insane takeover, there’d been a group that had worshipped him, seeing him as some kind of counter to the Princesses rule. Who'd been angry at his defeat. Since then they'd bided their time, hoping for a way to resurrect him.

When news had arrived that Sombra was alive, they'd rejoiced, only to discover he now worked for Celestia. Defending Canterlot and the current rulers of the empire in a battle too. This was not the King they'd bowed to, the ruthless ruler they desired. They had to get him back.

They'd plotted to go to Canterlot and unleash their plan from there, but then one of their number had overheard that Sombra was HERE, in the empire. They'd scrambled in haste to get to the meeting the Princess was hosting, in hopes of finding a way to sneak into the palace in the fuss.

The spell was ready, and by a stroke of luck the target was standing on the stage, telling the little Umbrum filly she needed to come back inside. They had a clear shot.

“We welcome you home, our King!” the spellcaster cackled softly, leaping onto a nearby stool vacated by one of the spectators. He aimed, then FIRED.

At the same moment the little filly flew to Sombra, forelegs held out to glomp-hug him, the blast seared across the gap and struck Sombra's muzzle. But it also clipped the filly's hoof, her cry lost beneath the yells of surprise from the crowd.

Pain lanced through him and he felt the wind slam out of his lungs as he hit the stage. But he heard the child's cry, and fought to get up.

“Kid-!” he said blindly, looking for her. There!

“Sir, please hold still-” he heard a stern voice, and briefly identified it as belonging to one of the crystal guard. But he didn’t care if he was bleeding, he had to get to the little one!

He pushed the guards aside and rushed over to the child, who'd landed near the podium. Cadance was crouched beside her, trying to check her over.

She whimpered and held her hoof out to Sombra, who scooped her up. Then she began to cry.

Her tears were loud, like crystalline music, but so sad. They echoed over the crowd, who fell silent in horror as they realised a child had been hit in the altercation.

While Sombra tried to comfort her, the guards had already pounced on the one who'd fired. The rest of the group scattered, not wanting to be caught before their King returned to them.

“Just wait!” the loon that’d attacked Sombra cackled as the guard wrestled him away “the real you will be back soon, you can't run!”

“Get him out of here!” Cadance cried, shaken by the incident.

Sombra took this to mean they didn’t believe he’d tried to do something with this second chance, that he wasn't there to hurt them. His heart sank and shattered at the same time, he'd both hoped yet expected this all along. But the crying child he held sparked something inside...

“Its alright...” he said softly, but she held up a bleeding right hoof.

Sombra cursed softly and set her down. Without hesitation he flipped his cloak aside and tore the ribbon he'd used that morning to tie his wings down. He tore a short section off and discarded the rest.

Without the support to tie them down, the wings slithered free, aching badly. The pain had gotten worse since last night. They didn’t stand up the way wings normally did, just fanned limply across the stage as he hurriedly cleaned the blood and tied the bandage over her hoof.

Her tears slowed a little as she looked up at him. What she said next stunned him and everypony else standing nearby.

“I don’t wanna live here...”

“What?” Sombra blinked, thinking she meant the empire “don't worry, you'll have a home of your own-”

“NO, I don’t wanna live HERE, this world is bad, its scary!!” she wailed.

Sombra realised this was her first impression of the new world and she was devastated by its harshness.

“Listen, Firefly...” he said, and in the studied silence his voice carried surprisingly far “you mustn’t blame this world, it isn’t what you think.”

“Then why did it hurt?” she hiccuped.

“It wasn’t out for YOU, it was out for ME.” Sombra said heavily.

“I dun understand….why?” she sniffled.

“It's a long story, perhaps it's best you ask your elders about it, those that seen the memories I gave them.”

“But, we ALL seen 'em!” she said, confused. Sombra's stomach plummeted, so now they knew ALL his history.

“Then you know the truth, why I said you choose a worthy ruler for yourselves. Prophecy or no, I’m a monster, and you shouldn't have to carry that curse. I'll find a home for you, I haven't forgotten the promise-spell I gave to excel.”

“The necklace?”

He nodded, looking down at her as he opened his eyes, the world looking almost painfully bright “yes, its a powerful spell, one princess Celestia showed me after I was brought to Canterlot to recover. You know who she is correct?”

Firefly nodded, then said “But those memories, they were sad. And that bad thing that took your magic...Excel wouldn’t let us see those, she just told us what he tried to take. But they were all sad afterwards.”

Sombra could understand Excel's logic, the memories weren’t something a child should see.

“Don't dwell on them little one, that creature is gone, locked away by the sense of justice this world has. You needn’t fear that thing. But I suspect it is a fate I will soon meet. That is why I need you to have everything set up for you.”

Cadance, speechless this whole time, went “whu-?” to herself, and shot a look at the crowd. They looked and confused as she felt. Why was Sombra saying these things?

Cadance had asked they trust her, and trust that Sombra would not hurt them. Yes they'd been angry he was alive, but their princess would not lie to them. Sombra had protected Cadance and Shining Armor after all, when he could have easily taken them out during the fight. If she said the past was behind him, then they were prepared to accept his existence for the time being. Let HIM prove to them Princess Cadance's faith was not misplaced.

Had the Princess not informed him of this? He seemed to believe he would be imprisoned now he'd come back, forcing himself to accept it even as he seemed to want nothing more than to watch over the Umbrum's. Was he...scared of them? Scared his fate was out of his control? Did he think the atatck meant they were ALL baying for blood? Beneath his calm voice lay a real sadness and trepidation. Those close enough to see him seen something in his eyes that gave them pause.

Firefly looked lost too, and fresh tears started. “B-but...” she stammered.

Sombra nuzzled the top of her head, closed his eyes and this time his words were addressed to the crowd, voice raised loud enough for them to hear.

“I want to give them a home, they’ve been locked up so long, they deserve this. They aren’t like me, they’re good, clever ponies. There is one among them that holds their memories, she can teach you much of what this race has accomplished.” he spoke of course, of the mother crystal.

“Don’t hold to them the same hatred you hold to me, please. The war between them and the empire of the past was an unfortunate accident, perhaps had the timing been a little later, it could’ve been avoided, I don’t know. All they wanted was a helping hoof so they didn’t starve and die out.”

It felt like relief to get this off his chest, to say this out loud.

Firefly sniffled, she didn’t like what he was saying, was he going to leave them?

“Once I know they’re safe, that they have their king or queen or whomever they choose, and their home is secure, I..” he trailed off, opening his eyes and looking down at the tiny filly “I can let them find their own path, and whatever vengeance you seek you can take. Mistake it not for pity, I truly don’t care what fate I meet once this is over, I just want the Umbrum to see the light once more, have a fresh start. They waited long enough because of my mistakes.”

Firefly shook her head “nuh-uh..”

“It's the way it has to be..” Sombra began, but she pushed him away.

“You can't!” Firefly wailed, tearing away from him and skittering to a halt by the edge of the stage, looking at the crowd with big tear filled eyes.

“The big heart power mad everyone hurt and get angry, we didn’t mean it! We wanted friends, food...but the pain made us all so sad we attacked instead! We wanted the pain to go bye bye, that’s what Excel said!”

They were hooked, listening to her every word. A stunned Sombra was watching her too. He tried to stand, but the wings cramped up and he was forced to sit back down.

“Excel showed us the Inifi...iflim...” she struggled to pronounce the word, settling for indicating Sombra with one hoof “- his memories! The heart power was bad for him too! It didn’t hurt straight away like it did for us. It was like a fever, it burnt slowly, muddled everything in his head.” she looked sad “we got to sleep, away from that pain. But he didn’t, he had to live every day with it! Id be feeling loopy-doopy if that happened to me!”

Many of the crowd nodded, hearing this child’s innocent translation of Sombra's suffering.

“But you can't have him!” The kid cried defiantly “get angry if you want, but we need him too! He's lying, he's NOT a monster, not any more.”

A muted crack cut her off, as it was mixed with a cry of pain from Sombra. She ran back over, looking up at him, then she seen what was wrong.

A crack had appeared in one wing at the joint where the wings angled outwards. It looked painful.

Confused gossip raced around the crowd as Cadance ran over.

“Oh b-” she stopped herself before she cursed in front of a child, and tried to think why this was happening.

“I don’t know..” Sombra said in response to her questioning look “they’ve been hurting for awhile now, since I freed them during the confrontation with the Umbrum.”

“What about changing to your Umbrum form, would that reset them?” Cadance was grasping at straws.

“Try it!” The little one cried, anxious to see Sombra pain go away.

Sombra shut his eyes, and a second later a flash of magic raced over him, shifting him to the crystal form. This also hid the blood from the attack, but the cut made by the spell was still there, a crack across his muzzle.

“Yayy!” Firefly cried “is so pretty!”

Many a jaw dropped, seeing Sombra now resembled the little filly in that they were both made of stunning crystal.

But when Sombra tried to move the wings, it became evident that although the crack in the appendage was gone, the pain was still there.

“Excuse me!” a voice called out. Cadance turned, seeing a pastel-blue mare with white mane clamber up onto the stage.

“My names Primary Flight, I’m a sports therapist. I’ve worked with the Wonderbolts, maybe I can check them?” She indicated the painful wings.

Cadance lowered her voice and asked Sombra if he'd be alright with it. He gave a nod.

Primary approached, and carefully lifted the wing. She noticed the way Sombra subtly flinched, muffling a growl of pain.

“I'm sorry, this may be a little painful..” she spoke gently, her curiosity winning over any fear of Sombra she had. Besides, he didn’t seem threatening, despite his intimidating appearance. She examined the crystal wings as if they were the same as any other, marvelling silently at how soft they felt despite their rigid look. For though they seemed solid enough, the wings actually had a similar feel to regular wings, albeit a little heavier then any she'd seen.

“Forgive me for asking hon,” she began, spotting the discarded ribbon from earlier, one eyebrow raising as she spoke “-but have you had them under restraint?”

“They were bandaged prior to a day or so ago, there was significant damage.” Cadance put in, sparing Sombra a little.

“I see, and since then?” she looked at Sombra this time, who flushed guiltily.

“I prefer they be kept out of sight.” he muttered.

“There’s the problem. Keeping them cramped up this way is causing the muscles to atrophy, they’re starting to lock up basically. Any longer and you risk permanent damage.”

Firefly titled her head to the side “don’t you wanna fly?” she asked, buzzing her own wings to hover “I can't wait till mine are big so I can fly around, the sky looks sooo pretty!”

“It's best I don’t.” Sombra said shortly.

“Hon, you’re an Umbrum Alicorn, its hardly news by now! What pony HASN'T seen the papers from Canterlot!” Primary flight shook her head, but gave him a frank look “they need to get some use, have you flown at all lately?”

“Only the once, when they were required. In order to stop Scorpan's attack I had to utilize them, he was impossible to hit otherwise.” Sombra explained, recalling that fight. Come to think of it, he hadn’t really had time to take in how flying had felt, but his memories spoke of freedom and fresh air…

“Only once?” Primary’s eyebrows raised “then you DEFINATELY need to give them some breathing room. Those pains are the muscles desperately and instinctively wanting to stretch. Keeping them tied down when they’re still new will only damage them.”

“Flappity flap!” Firefly encouraged, peering up at Sombra “you gotta fly, those wings are so pretty! Dontcha like 'em…?”

“No-! Well, I- That is-” he stammered, flushing slightly, not saying a whole lot despite his rambling. Primary caught the guilty expression on Sombra's face as he tried to think what to say.

“I'd go so far as to say you should accept they’re here to stay,” she said honestly “you’ll suffer worse and worse pain the longer you keep them tied down. Wings are made to be free!”

He nodded.

“Aside from that, I can't suggest much else right now. I'll compile some exercises I teach my clients that should help keep them in shape even if you decide not to fly with them. I'll drop them off at the palace tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Sombra said softly “much appreciated...”

“That’s quite alright,” she smiled. She was surprised by Sombra. He seemed to be so intelligent, beneath that fierce façade that had once terrorized them. “I’ve never seen wings like these, they’re beautiful. I'd love to learn more about your kind..”

“Yay!” Firefly cheered.

“Once they’re awake and safe, you are more than welcome to come converse with them, I'm sure they wont mind.”

Cadance once more noted Sombra's phrasing, as if he was expecting to not be there.

“Sombra...” she said softly.

He got to his feet, but wobbled a little.

“AHHH!” Firefly suddenly yelled really loudly, drawing everypony's attention.

“W-what's the matter?” Sombra stammered, startled by the kid. He could swear his heart was doing laps around his ribcage.

Firefly stared up at him, looking frantic “I lost the box! The special box Excel gave me to give to YOU!” she looked up at Sombra. Now the fuss was over, her task had finally come back to the forefront of her memory.

“Where did you lose it?” Sombra asked, glancing across the stage to see if he could spot a box. He seen quite a few members of the crowd tilt their heads to catch his eye, and felt unexpectedly bewildered by their curious, open expressions. So many faces...

“I dunno!” she cried, racing off.

“H-hay! Come back!” Sombra blurted, bidding Primary a hasty goodbye before diving off the stage after her. The crowd could hear his voice off into the distance;

“Slow down Firefly! We'll never find it this way!!”

A couple of ponies chuckled, seeing Sombra acting like a worried parent for the little filly.

“I think he'll look after them just fine...” Cadance remarked on a whim, “don’t you?”

More amused laughs, and many thinking he was weirdly good with kids!

Sombra did catch up to Firefly, and together they wandered the path shed taken through the palace, eventually discovering the guard that’d chased her earlier had found it.

“See? No reason to panic..” Sombra told her as they walked away from the guards break room.

“Yeah!” she cheered “oh, is for you!” she handed him the box.

Sombra smiled softly.

“Excel said once you've opened it and read the letter, come see us all..OK?”

He nodded, before she said she'd better get back to the others. Sombra escorted her down there and made sure she got back safely.

Once that was over he decided to go for a nap, his head ached and he didn’t feel so good….

He curled up on his bed and slept through until later afternoon, just as the sun was starting to set.

His head ached a little, but he got up regardless, and wandered out onto the balcony of his room. He stared out at the empire, the last days events still running through his mind. So much was happening and so fast that he felt dizzy. There was also a strange pain underlying everything else, one he couldn’t identify.

“Boo!”

“EYAGH!” Sombra yelled and stumbled back, seeing-

“Discord...” he sighed softly, but glad it was him.

“Wherever have you been all day, there's a festival going on!” Discord was munching on some sweets.

“I uh...I was asleep...” Sombra coughed.

“Cadance said you had some trouble earlier, some whackjob took a shot at you?”

“Yes, I...feared such a thing, but it was still a surprise.” Sombra sighed.

“She ALSO said most of the crowd were as alarmed as she was. I don’t think it was a majority vote to try pop you off, if that’s what you’re worrying about!” Discord shot Sombra's defence full of holes with one sentence. The stallion went quiet, unsure what else to say.

Discord peered at the cut on Sombra's crystal body, as the pony hadn’t bothered changing back prior to sleeping.

“I know a LITTLE healing, hold still!” quick as a flash, he ran a finger over the cut, and Sombra felt a faint stinging pain for a moment.

“There, gone!” Discord whipped a mirror out of thin air to shown him “am I a genius or what?”

“That's much better, thank you.” Sombra had to laugh at Discord's smug grin.

“Wanna go see what’s going on?” Discord gestured to the festival off in the distance “so much sweets! You DO know what those are, right?”

“I'm familiar with...cake?” Sombra said with a shrug.

“We need to get you a shedload of sugar, stat.” the Draconequus dead-panned “sugar is fun, c'mon!”

He started to fly off, then realised Sombra wasn't following. The pony was standing on the balcony, wings raised but not moving, he was staring at the floor instead.

“Alright, what’s eating you?” Discord asked.

“I haven’t flown since...well, you know.”

“Scorpan?”

“Yes..” Sombra said, still staring distantly. Discord hung upside down so he could get Sombra's attention.

“Over here, no way that tiling is THAT fascinating. Stop hiding and come outside!”

He changed into a pegasus pony with a grin, and snapped his wings out.

“Lets have some fun, fancy a race?”

Sombra's wings twitched, the mere suggestion of freedom making them move, and the pony cast him a sidelong glance from under his mane.

“If you can beat me to that fountain,” Discord decided to have a laugh “i'll run down the guards corridor during shift change, dressed as a banana, declaring I’m the king of the penguins!”

A muffled snort of laughter.

“And if I WIN, well, YOU have to do it!” Discord sniggered, just imagining.

Sombra tried to ignore him, but when he glanced at the other out of the corner of his eye, Discord was wearing a banana costume. It DID look pretty amusing, Sombra had to admit.

“Very well.” Sombra couldn’t suppress the urge to laugh any more, he was imagining the reaction of the guards, recalling the pranks he'd watched Discord play back in Canterlot.

Discord flapped his wings and flew up. With some unease still in his heart, but figuring he would be safe enough just flying for a short while, Sombra let instinct take over and flexed the powerful wings. Soon he was hovering beside Discord. The air under his wings felt good…

“GO!” Discord cackled, zooming off. Sombra took off after him, the air ruffling his mane. Discord was speeding ahead, and Sombra suddenly felt a surge of competition. He wanted to win this-

Focusing his attention on the wind, he dipped and banked, catching the wind and letting the wings carry him, then beating them fast to shoot faster through the dusk sky!

“Wha?” Discord did a double take as Sombra not only caught up but shot by.

“Oh it is ON, silly Sombra!” he hollared. Sombra's response was a laugh of genuine glee.

They matched side by side for awhile, laughing and taunting. Up here, Sombra felt like his freedom wasn’t at stake, that he wasn’t a monster or a freakish creation. He felt free, strangely happy…

Discord grinned smugly, hearing the reclusive Sombra laughing in total abandon. Seen the grin on the pony's face as he strove to beat him.

Up ahead, Sombra spotted the fountain, his vision narrowing to that alone. With a contented laugh, he put on a final burst of speed, zooming ahead and landing neatly atop the fountains upper section.

“Show off!” Discord panted as he hovered in front of Sombra, turning back to a Draconequus.

“Heh.” Sombra laughed.

“Whoa..” a voice broke into Sombra's gloating and he froze, as he realised the fountain was at the center of the festival. He glared at Discord, the look seeming to say “you did this on purpose!”

“Well you won't leave your room otherwise! It's not healthy to stay cooped up! You spend too long in captivity, silly Sombra...”

Defiant, Sombra snapped the wings out, crouched and ready to spring back up into the sky. The wings stretched to their full size, each fractal patterned feather catching the light, making the Umbrum pony look like a marvel of crystal and life.

“Wait-!” an unknown voice called. Sombra yelped, his momentum distracted, and his hoof slipped off the edge of the fountain-

He tried to steady himself, flapping his wings, but when Discord grabbed hold of him to try and steady him, he seen room for revenge…

So he LET himself fall into the massive fountain basin beneath them, soaking them both. But, given HE was crystal…

A soaked through Discord folded his arms and glared at Sombra as they sat up in the water.

“Now you're just being silly.” he snorted in amusement.

“I don't know what you're talking about!” Sombra clambered out, and shook himself a little.

“Ok, I guess I deserved that one!” Discord said at last, and dried them both off with a snap of his fingers. “Smartass!”

Sombra smirked and made to respond, but a sharp pain abruptly assailed his head and the world briefly went black. He stumbled, slumping to the paving, his whole body felt like it was filled with lead. What was happening?

He was dimly aware of someone supporting him, keeping him sat upright against them. Voices echoed back and forth in the background. That darkness, it scared him, it felt like it was invading his head. At last it cleared, and his vision refocused.

“Sombra?” Discord peered at him “can you hear me?”

“Yes, I..” Sombra winced, as talking made his head pound briefly, but he managed to keep talking “it's nothing-”

“That didn't look like nothing, it looked like painful to me!” Discord raised an eyebrow. Sombra fumbled for an excuse;

“Its probably just backlash from earlier. I’m alright..” Sombra managed a weak smile.

“Maybe we should get you back to the palace-?” Discord began. Several of the crowd made disappointed noises, and Sombra was surprised.

“Here,” the same voice that'd startled him belonged to a worried looking mare holding out a tasty looking cup of punch “maybe your blood-sugars too low?”

“He hasn’t had too much exposure to sugar,” Discord chuckled as Sombra thanked her and took a drink of the stuff “I told him this place was a treasure trove!”

On hearing this, many vendors insisted on bringing the dazed stallion various sugary confections, asking what he thought?

Sombra seemed to perk up a little after these sugary treats...

Indeed, as time went by, his condition improved and he seemed less dizzy. Sat by the fountain, the darkening evening seemed to make his crystal form glow softly from the inside. He truly did look like a living statue, and many ponies couldn’t help stopping and staring.

Despite the sugar, Sombra started to feel tired once more, and Discord suggested they fly back before he grew too sleepy. Sombra nodded, and the crowd that'd been hovering nearby backed up to give the stallion room to spread his wings.

He and Discord thanked those that'd brought them the sweets, and Discord was even carrying a bag full of them, no doubt for snacking later!

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Discord said as they flew back. Sombra shook his head, it'd been a strange thing to be out in public. He didn't know what he'd expected. A riot mob? He felt confused, yet there was a tiny spark of hope.

His head ached AGAIN as they approached the castle, he winced and dropped his angle of approach without realising, and as a result clipped the balcony and hit the floor with a thud.

“Classy.” Discord chuckled, then heard a groan of pain “wait, did you actually hurt yourself? Silly Som-”

But his joke died on his lips as Sombra curled up on the floor, shaking.

“Something's very wrong with you-”

“Haven’t heard THAT one before...” Sombra joked through gritted teeth.

“Now is not the time for jokes, I hate to say it!” Discord shot off to get a Doctor. Sombra called out, but his words fell on deaf ears. His stomach roiled and he ran for the bathroom, being painfully sick seconds later.

--Ugh, what’s going on? This is as bad as when those nightmares still tormented me..-- he shuddered in remembrance of the Scorpan nightmare.

He heard voices in the main room, someone hammering on the bathroom door. He got up and staggered out, muttering he was fine.

“Even so, you need a check up!” The Doctor said sternly. Sombra was too tired to argue, and instead curled up on the bed as he was examined.

He was dimly aware of the Doctor saying something about a serious fever, and he needed to fetch some medicine. Discord told him of Sombra's dizzy fir earlier, but that he'd seemed better…

Sombra drifted asleep then. His dreams were tormented by nightmares images, which became steadily more garish and lucid as they went on. They showed him what he was capable of, once more ruling the empire with an iron hoof.

--No!!-- he cried out in his sleep –Please..--

“-Stop!” he gasped brokenly.

“Relax, Sombra...” a familiar voice said soothingly. A cold compress was placed on his head and he drifted away again.

He thought the dreams were over, but they began again in earnest. Amidst the worst of them, it was with what little strength he could muster that he tore free and bolted up in bed, gasping as the real world came into blissful focus.

“No more..” he shuddered, seeing flashbacks every time he closed his eyes.

“No more what?” a sleepy voice asked. Sombra linked, seeing a half-awake Draconequus dozing in mid air.

“The nightmares-” Sombra began, but couldn’t find the words..

“Of Scorpan?” Discord asked, but Sombra shook his head, a strange fear in his eyes.

“Then what?” somewhat concerned, Discord sat down on the floor, peering in the dim light at the delirious stallion “it's just fever dreams, you have a temperature higher than a giraffe on a trampoline! Fever makes you trip balls, but besides that you're fine-”

“No, these...these aren't fevers...” Sombra shook his head fiercely, but the words he sought seemed to evade him once more “something's wrong, very wrong-!”

He winced again and curled up on the bed, scrunching the covers under his hooves as another round assaulted his brain. It felt like he was being demanded to act, that the dreams HAD to become reality “I don't want to become that again..”

Discord was utterly lost by this point, so he decided to try another tactic. His chaos abilities extended to a strange sort of telepathy. Placing a hand atop Sombra's head he focused all his power into splicing his consciousness into Sombra's visions.

In the barrage of images that hit him, he could see why Sombra was afraid. The images exhorted Sombra to become what he'd once been, a tyrant, a monster. Cruel mocking laughter echoed in Discord's head as he watched in horror.

--Why is this happening?-- he heard Sombra whimper back in the real world and backed out of the dream, fast. Where he'd healed Sombra's muzzle earlier, getting rid of the cut, the wound had reappeared, fresh blood gleaming on Sombra's crystal skin.

--This makes no sense…-- the Draconequus racked his brain, trying to think of a solution. Why was this cut back? Shouldn’t it have been healed? Unless it was infected by something….

Cadance had told him what'd happened, how somepony had taken a shot at Sombra, and the kid had gotten caught in the crossfire. He wondered if there was more to the attack than he first thought. In the glimpses of the nightmares he'd seen a recurring symbol, of a circle with two crescents either side.

It hit him a second later this was not that dissimilar to the design on Sombra's crown from his former rule. Why was this imagery there?

“I'll find a way to help you, just stay put, alright?” he told Sombra.

“I don’t want to sleep...” Sombra croaked. Discord frowned, then reluctantly conjured up a pot of coffee.

“This will help, but I’ll have the emergency night Doctor come by as soon as he can! Just hold on, get it?”

Ignoring Sombra's protests he sped out the door. Behind in the room, Sombra picked up the pot of coffee and settled for drinking it from the jug. But the violent tremors didn't abate, and he found only with direct concentration could he think straight.

A sharp shock ran over him, and he realised his illusion spell had returned, returning him to his normal pony appearance.

--I-i didn't activate it, what’s going on?-- he thought fuzzily. But instinct told him sleeping was a bad idea, he was sure if he fell asleep now, he wouldn't be the same when he woke up.

He had no idea how much time had passed as he paced the room, biting back growls of fear every time the flashbacks overrode reality. In one he was overseeing the revival of his race, putting them under his control alongside the crystal ponies. In another he was trying a new set of armor, even more formidable then his previous one.

The next vision was accompanied by a strange sense of displacement, then he stood at the balcony, staring out over the enslaved ponies once more-

“No!” he back-pedalled and the image fell apart. He realised he was actually standing on the balcony, heart hammering painfully. How-?

Attracted by the sound, a guard stuck his head round the corner of the hall.

“Hay!” He called, seeing Sombra looked pale and dizzy “you need a doctor?”

Sombra turned towards him, ready to ask that he help him, but then a teleport spell suddenly kicked in and he vanished.

“Huh, that didn’t seem like he planned it.” The guard frowned “some thing’s up...”

He went to fetch his superior, this was getting weird....

Sombra, meanwhile, found himself in a new flashback, this time atop the tower. He was looking at a chained up crystal heart, a sense of triumph rising.

--Stop it!!-- he yelled at the vision, and again the illusion dropped and he was standing alone in the same tower.

“I need to find Discord...” surely the chaos being would know something...anything...but where had he said he was going?!

He gathered his scatter-shot magic and teleported in the direction of his room. But the spell seemed to short circuit, depositing him in the middle of an empty corridor.

“Almost..” he groaned, trying again. But all that happened was he fell onto the floor from about three feet up!

The guard and his boss rounded the corner just in time to see Sombra hit the floor from the mid-air teleport.

“Stay there!” the guard declared “your magic’s malfunctioning-”

“I know that already!” Sombra declared in exasperation. Closer now, they noticed the bleeding cut on the pony’s muzzle.

No sooner had the pony managed to stand then he teleported out again.

This time it was closer range, and they only had to go down one flight of stairs to locate him.

“What’s going on?” The lead guard asked, when they located Sombra in front of the throne room door.

“I don’t know!” Sombra looked on the verge of collapse.

After a few seconds he determined it would be safe enough to risk WALKING back to his room now. He asked if they'd seen Discord, and they shook their heads.

“I need to find him.” Sombra said wearily.

“I'll go see if I can locate him, stay with him!” the head guard said to the lower ranked one. The guard nodded. But as they approached Sombra's room, another guard was already standing there, about to knock.

“Oh! There you are, I'm sorry to disturb you,” the guard was a pale orange with blue mane “but the Umbrum ghosts are crying out for your help down there, you need to come with me!”

“The Umbrum are-” Sombra's immediate concern for his ponies overrode the pain he was in and he ran off without a second glance.

He heard the guards calling out behind him, as they tried to keep up.

Sombra stumbled down the stairs, his momentum driving him forward until he reached the room where the staircase to the Umbrum cave lay.

Three guards gathered by the entrance to the cave looked up as the sound of thundering hooves approached. They smartly shot out of the way as Sombra hurtled by without even slowing, his hooves striking the crystal steps in a series of melodic sounds.

Flash Sentry slowed to a stop, and slithered to the floor in an exhausted heap followed by the other guard.

“He's...fast..” he wheezed.

Excel held a bawling Firefly as Sombra raced in.

“Infinitum, oh thank Celestia!” She cried “something is wrong with the little one!”

Sombra looked at the bawling child, seen the bandage around her hoof was soaked through.

“Why is this happening?” he croaked.

“She’s been having terrible nightmares about you, that some darkness was making you into a monster...”

Sombra shook his head “those same dreams...” All this had started after that attack earlier. Something had infected them both, he realised. He didn’t know what, but it HAD to be magical in origin, and magic, he COULD deal with. A spark of hope flared up in him...

“Little one-” he said, as Excel set the tiny filly in his hold.

“Sombra!” she sniffled “the bad dreams-”

“I know little one, I see them too. I’m sorry….”

“Why do they want you to do so much bad stuff?” she whimpered.

“I don’t know,” Sombra said, chest aching from the reminders of what he'd been “but I wont let it come to pass, not again. I made those mistakes in the past, I wont make them twice. Not while I’m still able to fight it!”

“Can you make them go away?” she hiccuped.

“Of course..” Sombra promised “you'll have better sleeps very soon. Close your eyes...”

She did so, and Sombra gently set her down on the ground. He closed his eyes, begging his rapidly depleting magic to hep him now.

A ball of magic wrapped around Firefly, and she winced a little.

“Be brave little one,” Sombra's soothing voice made her feel less scared “this will be brief.”

To Firefly it felt like a sting, but suddenly her head didn’t hurt! Sombra had done it!

She opened her eyes in time to see the jagged magic be absorbed into the bigger pony’s body. Sombra shuddered and seemed on the verge of collapse, but stayed awake.

“Infinitum..” Excel moved towards him, but he shook his head.

“Keep back...” he begged “its unstable. I can contain it, but I cant be rid of it-”

Dark sparks of magic briefly darted across his coat, attempting a teleport, but it sputtered and died, as his magic reserve ran dry…all he had left was sheer willpower to fight the fearful visions!

He crumpled to the floor, fighting to stay conscious, and he heard the Umbrum calling out, heard hoof steps, and a voice he dimly recognised as belonging to the blue maned guard;

“Hay, stay with me big guy!”

Sombra tried, managing to get his vision to focus on the pony, but it didn’t last long. The sweet temptation to let himself slip into oblivion and dreams was so strong…

He began to drift asleep once more..

Soon as he'd left Sombra's room, Discord had made his way to the cells where those under arrest were kept. He knocked the guard out and appeared in the cell where Sombra's attacker was confined.

“Who're you?” the pony spat, but he backed up on instinct.

“I am Discord, the lord of chaos, and I’m here for answers!” Discord snapped his fingers, plunging the room around them into darkness, save for a spotlight that shone down on them.

“Now, what did you DO to Sombra earlier?” the Draconequus snarled “answer me you pathetic roach!”

“What did I do?” the pony's grin stretched from ear to ear “I did what was necessary to get our once great King back!” he laughed madly.

“What?!” Discord shook his head, fury rising “what are you talking about, you madpony!”

“We’ve been searching for a way to bring our rightful ruler back, but what do we hear that somepony else beat us to it! To hear that Celestia corrupted our King, forcing him to become her newest servant, is a travesty! But now, he'll be back with us soon!”

“You-! That attack, those nightmares-” Discord was furious, this scum bag was the reason Sombra was suffering…

“Yes, just a little trigger for him to enjoy, to remind him who he is-urk!” Discords hand snapped out and latched around the ponies throat, lifting him in the air.

“You..” Discord was the image of anger and fury, eyes burning red “will PAY for this. Sombra is so much more than that, so much better. I will not see the likes of you take away his rightful chance. Now tell me how to undo that spell, or I’ll show you what REAL nightmares are about-”

The pony glared at him, and laughed “you think ill tell you? No, I’ll see his majesty rise once more before I tell you one word! Even now, you’re too late to save him!”

“He's fighting,” Discord said coldly, looking at the pony with disdain “even as I speak, I KNOW he’s not letting you win. He knows what’s worth fighting for, and its not that past. You wont tell me willingly, very well.”

As he'd done in the past, he used his “discording” ability to scramble the pony's view of the world.

“Get off me!” When the stallion wriggled once again, Discord let him go, knowing he couldn’t escape.

The foolish pony, believing he'd won, tried to run away. But he soon realised he was gravely mistaken. At every turn he seen his worst nightmares made real, laughing and taunting. And always present was that same creature, Discord. Watching coldly, uncaring.

“Give me what I want, and it can stop.” Discord said, unmoving.

“Alright!” the pony cried, backing into a corner as the nightmares pressed in “just make it stop!!”

“Give me the spell I want.” Discord demanded once more.

“I-i don’t have it, i-it's at headquarters! Once he was reminded of who he was, we wouldn’t need the spell to remind him, so we planned to remove it once he'd taken back his throne!”

“Then you can wait here until I get back,” Discord stated, “let this be a lesson not to mess with what I hold dear.”

“Y-you said it'd be over-!” The stallion panicked when the nightmares didn’t back off, glancing desperately at the Draconequus.

“Oh those? Consider this as payback for hurting my friend,” Discord said coldly “now for the rest of your scum bag friends. I don't care what happens to you, all I care about is saving Sombra. So whatever way I get the answers I want, I win.”

The dazed and freaked out coward who'd tried to destroy Sombra's future, realised he was dealing with something very dangerous in Discord.

Frantic, he blurted out the street the house was located in, if it would just stop the strange being from conjuring these visions-!

Feeling generous, Discord settled for knocking the pony out cold rather then terrify him any more.

“Never let it be said I don’t show SOME mercy.” He grumbled as he left. He knew Sombra would likely be extremely concerned by the methods Discord used, but he didn’t have time to waste.

Next stop, the guards room.

They got a fright when Discord appeared in a flash. The head guard, who'd been seeking Discord all along, gave a sigh of relief.

“Thank Celestia, Sombra was looking for you-”

“And right now he's in terrible danger, so I’m afraid he'll have to hold on until I figure out how to save him.” Discord said curtly.

“What do you mean?”

“That attack earlier, it wasn’t an attempted assassination, far from it! That spell carried another within it. One that is trying to alter his mind, set it back to how it was before!”

“What?!” all of them stared in confusion.

“It seems you’ve had a group in your midst all along, that sought a way to revive the crazed version of Sombra. They thought their dream had come true when they found out Scorpan had revived him. But it seems they dislike the fact he's recovered his marbles and had a change of heart. That spell was targeted to make him remember who he was before, something he’s bucking desperate to avoids, understand?”

They nodded, Discord didn’t seem like he was joking about any of this, his expression a mix of fury and determination.

“The roach you have in jail down there finally saw fit to tell me what I wanted. Armor up boys, you have a raid to do!”

The rest of the lunatic group weren’t expecting what came charging through their door. A roiling cloud of black smoke, reminiscent of-

“Your highness!” the one closest grinned in triumph “you've returned-!”

“Far from it!” a voice spoke up, and Discord appeared before them, glaring coldly.

“Run!” another cried, but the smoke had surrounded them all, they couldn't get through it. Any attempt to just teleported them back into the centre of the circle Discord had subtly herded them into. As if THAT wasn’t enough, when one tried to teleport out he hit a magic dampener Discord had summoned. They were trapped and cornered, so close to their triumph….

“You cannot stop the King's return!” one cried.

“Oh yeah? Watch me!” the Draconequus spat.

Nightmarish visages flickered in the smoke and some of the ponies began to panic, each seeing what they dreaded made real. It’d been a while since he'd expended this much magic at once, but Discord wasn’t done yet.

“All yours!” Discord opened a gap in the smoke, and let the royal guard stream in, spears pointed at the groups members.

“How-?” one sputtered.

“A magician never reveals his tricks,” Discord sneered “now, you have something I want.”

“I don't know what you’re talking about-” the same pony protested weakly.

“Where’s the counter spell!” Discord snarled.

“I’m not telling you, let the King of shadows teach you a lesson when he rises!” the pony laughed. The others all grinned, mocking the guard and Discord for being too late.

“You don’t know who Sombra is, you REALLY don’t. And I can guarantee you that!” Discord said firmly. But out of the corner of his eye he seen one mare twitch, her eyes darting desperately to a corner of the room as the pressure got to her.

With a snap of his fingers he was over there, darting through the barriers he'd erected and opening a locked box by simply blasting the lock off it. Inside, protected by spells of quite some magnitude, was a scroll. He ripped the defences apart, unravelling the scroll.

“Is that it?” one guard asked as Discord reappeared through the smoke.

“Yes,” Discord smirked at the furious ponies. “can I trust you'll take care of these mongrels?”

“You got it!” the lead guard nodded “go put an end to this!”

Discord nodded, and vanished right away.

Sombra was on the verge of of letting go completely, and letting the darkness win, He couldn’t hold on, no matter how much he wished to..

Flash Sentry panicked and shook him as Sombra seemed on the verge of falling into slumber.

There was a loud declaration of “GANGWAY!” and the guards hovering at the bottom of the steps dove aside as Discord shot in, skidding to a halt in front of Sombra. Flash barely dove aside in time to avoid being run over!

“Up you get!” Discord declared loudly, hauling Sombra upright. Sombra was barely able to keep his balance, staring fuzzily at Discord.

“Oh it's you...good...I think I have a Discord, problem-!”

“I'd go with “alcohol” is if I didn’t know what was going on! Focus now, silly Sombra!” Discord let him go, and was relieved to see he stayed upright.

“This will let you sleep freely, just hold on a moment...” he unravelled the scroll, read its contents, and unleashed the spell. A bright gleam of light ran over the dangerously exhausted pony’s body, finally freeing Sombra from the nightmares hold..the spells hold shattered, his mind finally freed from the nightmarish visions.

The second the spell faded, Discord had to quickly catch Sombra before he hit the floor.

“Easy there...” he remarked “don’t pick a fight with the floor, it plays dirty!”

Sombra made a faint groaning sound Discord was sure was aimed at the awful joke, then he at last lapsed into a peaceful, safe sleep.

“Talk about cutting it close, barely made it...” Discord sighed in relief.

“Is he going to be alright?” Excel asked.

“He was hurting a lot...” Firefly sniffled, patting Sombra's foreleg, peering up at the slumbering pony.

“He took the darkness that was making the little one hurt,” Excel explained to both Discord and the approaching guards “and bore it himself. He didn’t have any more magic left, those nightmares drained it I believe.”

“I can tell. He needs bed and a doctor, asap.” Discord told her “he'll be alright, but it may be a few days before he can visit!”

“Aww...” Firefly said sleepily “okayy...”

Discord patted her on the head, noting how she alone seemed to have the most solid form, wondering briefly if that was Sombra's doing?

Figuring it could wait, he picked the snoozing pony up, and flew out of the cave.

There he was met by the squad that'd raided the house to find the cure alongside him.

“Ah, did you-” the boss guard asked, cutting off as he spotted the sleeping pony Discord was carrying. Discord nodded.

“Barely made it. That was some seriously nasty, corruptive magic. Its quite a feat he was able to stave it off this long. Things could've been a lot worse if he wasn’t so inherently stubborn.”

The guard agreed silently, Sombra was an extremely tough being, not one they wanted a second confrontation with!

Sombra slept on, oblivious to all this.

“Do me a favour, send the doctor up to Sombra's room, I think he'll need him!” with that, the Draconequus and his sleeping charge were gone.

Author's Note

Blarp. Bed now. Sleepy.

Immunity

When Sombra woke, it was to a chorus of birds outside his window. He groaned, the noise jarring. He waited until the room came into focus before sitting up. The first thing he seen was a note stuck to his nose.

He realised that thankfully, he was back in his normal form. The Umbrum one still startled him, he wasn’t used to it fully.

--Bet I know who YOU'RE from..-- he laughed softly as he peeled the folded piece of paper from his muzzle and opened it.

He should have known anything from Discord wouldn't be normal in the usual sense. When he opened the note, it made a loud honking sound, causing Sombra to yelp, back-peddle off the bed, and fall onto the floor. As seemed to be the habit when he got scared, his wings pomf'd out, as if they wished to protect him in some way. He let out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling a moment.

The door clicked open as Sombra sat himself up, rubbing his head.

“Everything alright? I heard a weird noise..” The guard peered at the disgruntled Sombra, who was glowering at the sheet of paper floating in front of him.

“There, now you’re up!”

was written in Discords spidery writing.

“I’m going to stuff him down the back of the couch.” Sombra glowered at the paper.

“Uhh...if you say so sir.” The guard wondered what he was on about “Since you’re awake, shall I send up the doctor? He wished to see you once you were up!”

“Yes, of course.” Sombra nodded. Then his stomach grumbled extremely loudly, causing him to flush slightly.

“Shall I add breakfast to that, sir?” the guard snickered subtly.

“That would be more than welcome, yes...” Sombra said with a cough.

The door clicked shut behind the guard as he left, and Sombra sighed, feeling somewhat light headed. He recalled what happened and shuddered.

That pony had tried to take him out...or had he? From what he could recall, the spell that’d infected him and Firefly had been trying to make him act as he'd done before. Truth be told, his recollection of events was marred by the pain and tiredness he'd suffered...

The Doctor arrived, and with him a member of the palace staff pushing a trolley with a breakfast tray on it.

“You’re looking better, I must admit I’m surprised at the speed you recover. Whatever magic Umbrum's have, its clearly intertwined with self-preservation. What you endured in the last 24 hours would’ve floored any other pony, but you seem remarkably robust.”

“I prefer to call it 'too dense to notice'!” a familiar voice piped up.

“Good morning Discord,” Sombra said with an amused smile “interesting wake up call you left, by the way.”

The Draconequus grinned widely “Oh, you got my note? Yes, I figured I’d need to startle you out of bed, lest you park your behind in it for any further periods of time!”

“He's got a point,” the Doctor raised an eyebrow “you do spend far too much time inside. For the sake of your own health, I seriously suggest you go for a walk or three around the empire. You wont encounter any real problem, there are forces that will see to that...” he shot a glance at Discord as he left alongside the staff pony, but Discord didn’t bat an eyelid.

“What did he mean?” Sombra asked, as he sat himself at the table and began on the breakfast the staff pony had delivered.

“Its a long story...” Discord said lightly. Sombra swallowed the bite of food he'd taken and looked concerned.

“I have all of this to eat through, you can go ahead.”

Discord sighed, knowing it would likely upset Sombra one way or another, but began detailing the whole incident. When he got to the point where he'd interrogated the pony to find out what he'd done, Sombra looked like a ghost.

“Whu...” Sombra set the cutlery down, going pale “t-they wanted what?!”

“They wanted the OLD you.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Calm down, we got them all. And besides, the Umbrum told me you point blank refused to let it happen, gave them a little speech before saving that little kid from the same visions.”

He sympathetically rubbed the pony’s back, until it seemed Sombra wasn't going to aim for the bathroom..

“Better?” he asked. A mute nod.

When he was satisfied Sombra was seriously OK, not just saying it, he finished the story. How he'd gotten the information out of the one that'd fired on Sombra to start with, located the group and gotten the spell.

He seen Sombra wince as he described the nightmare illusions. They DID sound scary when he said them out loud, Discord mused.

“It was the only way to get the spell I needed to stop those nightmares, before they destroyed everything you worked to rebuild. It may have been a little excessive, but I couldn’t sit back and see those lowlifes-”

“I know.” Sombra said softly, cutting him off. When Discord glanced at him, the stallion still looked a little stunned but he was also smiling gently.

“I'd be little more than a demonic tyrant once again if it wasn’t for you. Saying I owe you one is an understatement. Honestly, Thank you...”

The Draconequus was surprised, but extremely pleased. He was reminded of how nice it'd felt when Fluttershy had first stuck up for him, and spoken so kindly to him.

“See? You don’t need to worry!” he grinned next, tweaking Sombra's ears “now, get on with breakfast, after that it's “leaving the castle” time!”

“Is that necessary? I know the doctor said- but surely the palace garden...” Sombra rambled. Seeing Discord's deadpan, unmoving expression he winced “you mean actually OUT, don’t you?”

“That’s about the gist of it, yes.” Discord said, nodding “I'm booked later on to discuss the whole incident and the raid with Cadance and Shining Armor, so I aim to get you to take some fresh air before that!”

“No escaping you is there?” Sombra chuckled wryly.

“Not even close.” Discord patted him on the head, earning a sarcastic glower “now, eat!”

Once breakfast had been summarily scarfed, Sombra reached for the fluffy cloak, but got a surprise when it was whipped out of his reach.

“Its a hot, sunny day. You’ll get heat stroke if you go out wearing that!” Discord tutted, lobbing it over the back of a chair.

“Well there’s got to be SOMETHING to cover these wings with!” Sombra looked around the room, soon realising the fur-lined cloak was the only one he had right now.

“Why do you need to hide them anyway? According to Cadance, most of the crowd seen you with them at the incident.”

Sombra fumbled for an excuse before realising he didn’t have one. His face went red as he spotted Discord's knowing expression.

“Stop hiding them!” The Draconequus made a mirror appear in front of the pony, and lifted Sombra's wings so he could see them at their best.

“I DARE you to sit there and declare these aren't beautiful, Sombra!”

Sombra stared at the floor, sighed, then glanced back up at the crystal appendages. They WERE stunning, able to fly yet resembling a sculpture. The dark grey was mixed with soft hues of red and purple, so seamless it made them seem as if they were shifting and changing along the breadth of the biggest feathers.

“Well?” Discord asked.

“I...i guess I don’t despise them...” Sombra admitted awkwardly at last.

“Eh, its a start. Close enough!” Discord let the wings go, seeing how Sombra automatically folded them to his sides. He was about to suggest they leave, when he seen a box on the bedside table, made of a familiar crystal.

“Hm, what’s this?” he indicated it.

“Oh, that’s the box Excel gave Firefly to deliver to me...” Sombra had forgotten about it, “I was supposed to open it, read the letter inside, then go see them!”

“Don’t worry, they know you’re still recovering, they'll be happy with whenever you go to them.” Discord assured him.

He grabbed the box and opened it. Inside was a neatly folded letter, and something covered by a cloth. He handed Sombra the letter.

Stomach belly-flopping all over the shop, Sombra began to read it out loud;

“Dearest Infinitum;

We watched those memories you gave to us. We seen how you suffered the same we did, but where we got a respite in the darkness, and we had each other as we slept, you were forced to endure it alone. We don’t blame you for the actions of the past. Your friend told us you've paid the price for those actions. You were alone, and forced to cope with more than any child should, including losing your childhood and advancing to an adult in an effort to cope.”

Discord smiled to himself. He'd had MANY a conversation with Sombra's race.

“We seen how you refuse to forgive yourself, and we implore you to think otherwise. You've carried enough guilt, suffered enough trauma. Your friend told us how you declined your place at our heart because you’re afraid you'll endanger us. We don’t see any danger in you infinitum. We just see somepony that understands us, that uncovered the truth and faced our wrath to show us the truth. That you offered the choice to us just makes this all the more important. We ask that you accept-”

He cut off, the letter dropping from his magic to slither across the floor to land at the base of the mirror.

Discord swooped over, picking it up and reading the last few words.

“T-they cant be serious…” Sombra shook his head earnestly “no way!”

“You said you'd accept whatever decision they make, you told me so yourself!” Discords looked over at him, seeing Sombra was as white as the fur on the cloak Discord had snagged out of his reach earlier.

“I-I know I did!” Sombra was stammering incoherently, looking totally shocked “but what about their safety-”

“Stop!” Discord snapped loudly. Sombra clammed up, eyes wide.

“You just read it out loud yourself: “We don't see any danger in you.” and “we just see a pony that understands us”. They can see the same I can; beneath that burden of guilt you're forcing yourself to carry is the realization that you want only the best for them. And is that not what a ruler does? Takes care of his or her citizens?”

A mute nod.

“So what's holding you back? Afraid you'll make a mistake?”

Another small nod.

“Who doesn't have those reservations! Remember that secret I told you before, about how headless-chicken 'Tia could be when she was a filly? You aren't alone.”

“I know THAT, I remember you telling me! But...” Sombra closed his eyes, heart pounding “how can I be so sure? I haven't got a good track record with governance-”

“You were out of your gourd last time, through a mix of your own misguided anger and an overload of power. Look at you now, perfectly capable of thinking clearly. You screwed up, is that what you want to hear?” He wasn’t letting Sombra run away from it this time. The stallion needed to face up to this.

Sombra looked over at him, ears drooped.

“Well it's out there, I’ve said it, now deal with it. Its passed, been and GONE. You've made more progress than you credit yourself. You accepted you made a big mistake, and you chose to apologise rather than save your own hide after the Scorpan fight. Remember? “

“Yes...” his voice was a mere whisper.

“The only one out to hurt you right now is YOU. The public have been more than accepting after Cadance told them YOUR side of the story. They realise you didn't entirely mean to enslave them, you were already losing your marbles to that power surge, and the pain of the crystal heart. Yes it was a horrible thing to do, but dont forget, they KNOW about your apollogy. AND they seen you acting perfectly sane and convincing a petrified kid not to hate the world!”

Sombra couldn’t find a retort to that, after all, he could see what Discord was getting at. To trust himself THAT much was a terrifying thought. But yet he'd felt a peculiar crushing pain back when he'd declined the chance to become their King there and then. He hadn't felt he deserved the chance, yet he hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to them. He WANTED to stay as their guide.

He closed his eyes, not realising his emotions were writ clearly over his face.

Then he felt something brush his head, and heard Discord's voice:

“Open your eyes. Take a look.”

He waited, as it seemed to take the pony an eternity to do so, but eventually Sombra opened his eyes and lifted his head.

He realised the Draconequus had placed the crown upon his head. Looking at it, it was beautiful. Made of a pearly crystal, it curved behind his ears. A tri-pointed crystal made of a white diamond was set at the front. It was simple, yet elegant.

“It suits you.” Discord said bluntly “and I don't just mean the style of it.”

Sombra took it in, ears trembling in a mix of curiosity, hope and nerves.

“Well, are you going to accept their judgement? They’ve chosen their ruler, now its just up to HIM. Will you give yourself a chance this time?”

Sombra looked at himself in the mirror, felt his stomach lurch and jump as he forced himself to confront the reality of his own feelings.

It seemed to take everything he had, but he nodded.

"Whats the word i'm looking for?" Discord grinned, this was gonna be fun-!

“Yes.” Sombra managed to utter it, so much relief behind that one word. But why was the Draconequus smiling so?

Discord grinned and suddenly shot back. Sombra stumbled up, wondering what was wrong? Then he had to shut his eyes as a blinding light surrounded him. What was happening?!

When he opened his eyes, he stared in shock. The crown had clearly had some heavy spell-work added to it, designed to trigger on that one word. Why else had Discord insisted on a vocal agreement? He hadnt even picked up on it, his mind so focused on his inner struggles it'd slipped his attention. Then again, he had never suspected it would have a spell like that written into it.

What had this spell done? It'd created a suit of armor! Made in a similar pearly crystal, it fitted like a glove. The shoes and chest-plate both bore the tri-crystal symbol. There were even intricately sculpted panels of armor overlapping on his wings, reinforcing them. He stared at himself in the mirror.

“Very regal, no?” Discord grinned “can't tell you how late we were all up trying to design it!”

“We?” Sombra asked.

“Yes, the Umbrum and I! That drab old armor of before is long gone, so we figured you deserved something new! Quite snazzy if I say so myself. Not to blow my own trumpet – I’m tone deaf apparently – but it looks excellent!”

“It's...” Sombra fought to speak, so much was swirling around in his head “perfect, thank you.”

“For taking such a huge step and finally accepting where you need to be, consider it a present! Now, I suggest we go see your ponies, then we can store the armor here, you'll get heatstroke times double if you go out in that!” he all but towed Sombra out of the room.

Sombra was uneasy as they made their way down the quiet halls. Luckily they managed to scoot past the guards, or Sombra did, not wishing to draw attention.

Even so, one was sure he'd clocked a big armored pony go shooting by.

As they approached the room, Sombra heard squeals of laughter, recognising them as Firefly's.

“Little one!” He was relieved to hear her happy, and hoped she was feeling better after the terrifying incident of the nightmares! Mood perking up, he raced into the room.

“'Fini!” Firefly, still unable to pronounce Infinitum, spotted the stallion and zoomed over to hug him gleefully. It seemed she'd been playing with the two guards on duty at the entrance to the cave that day!

The two guards had been unable to resist the kids happy-go-lucky antics. She was adorable after all.

When Firefly seen the armor and most importantly, crown, she let out a shriek of delight and zoomed down the stairwell bellowing;

“He said yes!! Guys-”

“Excitable isn't she?” Discord chuckled. Sombra coughed, and zoomed after her, calling her name.

“What did she mean 'he said yes'?” the first guard asked.

“Remember she was talking about that box holding a very important question? If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t he wearing-” guard number two began.

“-Yes, you did see correctly.” Discord said. “When he first calmed the Umbrum's rage, the prophecy stated he became their leader by default, should he want it. But he refused, opting to give them not only the choice of who they wanted as a ruler, but giving them all the evidence of his past and present actions.”

“Seriously?” the first guard raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“SERIOUSLY.” Discord mimiced “he didn't attempt to sugar coat any of it. Even if it made them distrust him completely, he was willing to risk it. Its a testament to how much things have changed with Sombra...”

“So they..”

“They didn't want anybody else. Nopony is better able to understand them than Sombra. He was created to counteract their anger at their imprisonment. To find a way to get them a second chance. Freed from the madness caused by the past, he did exactly that. Its a little delayed, but the prophecy has finally begun. From what they told me, an Infinitum is a legend since the dawn of their kind. A pony with every ability needed to understand the three subsets of their race, same as yours.”

“Pegasi, Earth and Unicorn..” the second guard realised what Discord was saying.

“THAT'S why he's an Alicorn.”

“Exactly. Only they don’t use that term, they refer to these legendary ponies as Infinitum, a legend that’s lasted eternally. Umbrum ad Infinitum means “Eternal Crystal Shadow” or close enough.”

“Wow.” the guards had to admit they were impressed by Sombra's honesty. That he hadn’t tried to lie to his race, rather opting to give them the unvarnished truth. In this manner he'd truly earned the role of being their ruler it seemed. THEY certainly had a new respect for him.

“So, is it official then?” one asked.

“They're a separate subset of ponies, and now they have a ruling pony. I'd say so, but honestly I’m not an expert, ask Celestia or Cadance...”

They heard happy cheering from the cave down below, Firefly shrieking in glee and asking about a party?

“They sound pretty happy!” the first guard chuckled.

“They've been on tenterhooks, wondering whether he would accept their sincere wish,” Discord smiled “I'd be celebrating too if I were them!”

After several more minutes, a somewhat exhausted Sombra wobbled out fo the stairwell.

“You OK?” Discord asked.

“Yes, just a little dizzy.” Sombra shook his head “not sure why!”

“Well, you're still suffering the effects of that nightmare of yesterday. That's why the doctor wanted you to get some fresh air, you're still working off all the crazy shenanigans that’ve happened since awakening from the crystal stasis! Its just been one episode of chaos after another, I should know!”

Sombra nodded, then noticed the two guards had crept close enough to get a look at the armor he was wearing.

“Wow, that's a pretty sweet setup. Look at the craftsmanship!” the first said. The second nodded.

“Is it heavy?" he asked "It looks pretty solid...”

“Not really, I can barely feel it.” Sombra said in honesty.

“Blimey, you gotta be pretty strong if THAT isn’t heavy!” the second nodded.

“That’s for certain!” Discord chuckled at an earlier memory “he's got a right hook like you wouldn’t believe!”

“You what?” Sombra asked, then realised what he meant, and flushed in indignation “well YOU scared the crap out of ME!”

“And I maintain it was worth it!” Discord sniggered as Sombra glowered at him “oh don’t look so put out, it was my fault! Goading you was the only way to get a response from you back then, you were catatonic!”

“True..” Sombra muttered, still flushing in embarrassment.

“I mean, I told you coconuts migrate and I’m pretty sure you agreed with em!”

“What? No-!”

“Well they were migrating in that stasis world you created while you were asleep!”

“That was your fault, you put the idea in my head!”

“I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, There they are, all standing in a row! Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head~” Discord put on a carnival outfit and began singing.

“Argh! Enough!” Sombra facehoofed, desperately trying to remain dignified, but he so badly wanted to laugh!

The guards were biting their hooves to try not to laugh while this ludicrous argument raged on. Sombra spotted them out of the corner of his eye-

“Just...go ahead-!” Sombra sputtered in exasperation, which gave them free reign to fall over laughing their arses off.

He shook his head at them, then caught the amused Discord's eye. The dam broke, Sombra made a faint sniggering sound, then outright began to laugh!

For a few moments, all that was heard was laughter as the trio of ponies and one Draconequus giggled like idiots.

Sombra shook his head, but his sides were aching when he finally stilled his laughter.

“OK, time to get moving, Doctor's orders..” Discord shepherded Sombra out of the room, as the two guards waved farewell, still sniggering occasionally.

The armor and crown were deposited in Sombra's room, and the stallion only had time to grab the saddlebags he'd been given, then Discord towed him outside.

“Good to see you finally laugh again by the way, I was starting to think you'd forgotten what fun was!” The Draconequus nudged Sombra, who smiled softly.

“It did feel good.” Sombra sighed contentedly.

“So do it more often, laugh at anything that’s remotely funny!” Discord encouraged, making Sombra smile again.

But as they walked away from the palace, Sombra spotted the Crystal Heart ahead and froze up. Discord seen he was shaking, his whole body tense to the point where it had to be hurting him.

“What's wrong, you feeling ill? OH. Gotcha.” Discord looked from the heart to his friend. He thought he seen the heart gleam a moment, but put it down to a trick of the light.

“I just don’t want to be around it. Can we go around?” Sombra said softly, voice laden with fear.

“Easily!” Discord snapped his fingers and they teleported far enough away that Sombra felt the bands on his chest loosen, able to breathe easier.

“You feeling OK, is it hurting you?”

“No, not really, I just feel dizzy. I don't think I was near it long enough to cause damage...” Sombra told himself.

“Lets see, maybe something to eat!”

Discord spotted what he was after, a fast food store, and when they resumed their journey, they were both munching on some exceedingly nice hayburgers.

“These are nice,” Sombra remarked “is this a new thing?”

“As far as I can tell, they weren’t around before my imprisonment either!” Discord chuckled.

“Tastes pretty good!” Sombra decided, feeling better after the food.

“Oh these are just the start, wait until you discover the other food related goodness ponies have invented in the last thousand years!”

“Sounds good..” Sombra smiled.

"Sounds like a challenge!" Discord grinned.

True to his promise, Discord showed him several other edible treats, including crystal berry cakes.

As they talked, Sombra became absorbed enough in his responses that he failed to notice the world around him. Thus he missed the curious glances thrown his way by the crystal ponies.

Seeing him talking and laughing alongside another former troublemaker, they were surprised. But it gelled with what Cadance had told them, what the papers had been reporting. This wasn’t the same lunatic they’d encountered. THIS Sombra was reasoned, intelligent and not above admitting to his mistakes.

They were curious to see what would happen next with this mysterious race of Umbrum ponies!

“Oops!” Discord jumped as an alarm clocked appeared from thin air and began ringing. He swatted at it, shutting it off “I gotta scoot!”

“Where- oh..” Sombra recalled Discord mentioning a meeting earlier “I see..”

“You'll be fine! But at least promise you'll stretch your wings before bolting back to your hidey hole!”

“It's a promise.” Sombra nodded, then watched as Discord declared;

“Dingus AWAY!” and shot off like a rocket.

Sombra chuckled, unable to help himself. Alone in the street, he NOW noticed the curious glances. There were a lot of them. He felt himself flush at the scrutiny, and in a bizarre effort to protect their owner, the wings fluffed up slightly.

Several ponies stepped closer, about to open their mouths and ask a variety of questions. His hearing faded into a frantic pounding of his pulse, so he couldn’t make out what they were saying...

“I have to go-!” he blurted to nopony in particular, and his brain unsnapped his wings fully and bade him to flap them and get moving. Thus he found himself in the air before he realised he'd done it. He thought he heard a voice calling “you don't have to ru-” but the rest of the sentence was lost to the wind.

“He's gotten weirder...” One pony mused “first he's mad as a box of frogs, now he's jumpier then a frog that just sat on a tack!”

“I heard a rumour some nasty things happened when that weird gargoyle held him prisoner.”

“Define 'nasty'?”

“I heard it was flat out torture.” one pony said. The others turned to look.

“I got a pen friend in Canterlot who's part of the royal guard. He wrote to me AFTER the attack by that gargoyle, when Princess Celestia finally dropped the secrecy act to inform everypony. He seen Princess Celestia guiding Sombra around in the days before the attack, when she stopped to ask him and his partner about the patrols. Soon as she mentioned this “Scorpan” guy, Sombra looked about to be sick. It seems they're healed now, but my buddy told me Sombra had all these seriously bad injuries, and he didn't seem to like anypony coming into contact. Even Princess Celestia wasn’t able to get him to relax!”

Raised eyebrows abounded. It certainly sounded bad.

“Sounds about right,” one mare spoke up “I studied trauma and its side effects before becoming a Doctor, and if what your describing is true, it's remarkable he's as well adjusted as he is. Whoever Celestia hired to help him must have really known what they were dealing with! But even so, he undoubtedly still has some residual fear in his head.”

This set them all wondering what’d really happened to Sombra, between being resurrected as a pawn, and finding out who he really was. It had to be a heavy load to work through. They looked up at the sky, but he couldn’t be seen, too far away by now...

Up in the air, Sombra mentally kicked himself for acting so jumpy. But every time he'd convinced himself so far that he'd be fine with crowds like those, reality intervened. Panic clawed away every bit of resolve he thought he had. With his friend to talk to, he'd been able to push the sensations down, suppress them. Alone, he couldnt fight the sensations off, and he gave in to the wish to be away from it!

Same as the incident where that madpony had take a shot at him. By focusing on taking care of Firefly, he'd been able to dampen the worst of the fear. He had a point of focus, he'd be OK. Over and over he'd repeated that to himself…

Gradually his breathing steadied out as he flew, and he felt calmer after a few minutes.

He flew high enough to get a good view of the empire, and marvelled at the colours in it as he made a lazy circle over the city.

BANG. He jolted, losing control of his wings and plummeting down before regaining control and pulling up before he hit a building. Looking around he heard more bangs and realised someone was setting off some sort of glittery explosion in the sky.

Curious, he drifted closer, feeling silly for being so startled. But it'd reminded him of the sound of Scorpan's spells detonating all around him, the sound his own crystal body had made when he'd been slammed into a building-

--Enough, that's over now!-- he lectured himself, as he spotted a close enough roof to land on.

He soon realised he wasn’t as good at landings when he was on edge. He perched on a roof and nearly skidded off it, tensing his whole body until he could edge back into a steadier position.

“Not used to 'em yet, huh?” a voice interrupted his sigh of relief and he jumped again, wings going POMF.

“Sorry..” the pegasi who'd spoken giggled at Sombra's reaction. Sweet Celestia, the pony looked distinctly distrusting of his own wings! He was glaring at them even now, as if daring them to twitch even a mite. His expression was oddly comical.

Another sparkly thing shot into the sky, sending glittery sparks everywhere. Sombra watched it as it faded into the wind.

“What is THAT?” Sombra asked the pegasi.

“Glitter Fireworks of course! They're for celebrating! Never seen 'em before?”

“No, nothing like this...” Sombra responded, studying the sparkles with curiosity.

Then he asked “what're they celebrating?”

“Its a parade, they're gonna start it soon!” the pegasi and her friends gestured to the ground below. Sombra peered down, seeing numerous floats theme on the empires history. Some things he recognised.

“It's to celebrate all the new books being recovered, so much new history! So we're showing off what we know so far!” another pegasi said.

Sombra realised Shining Armor and Cadance must have given them the news about the information revealed by the key Sombra had given them. He fidgeted uncomfortably, thinking he should leave. It was HIS fault they were only now getting the info.

“It'll be cool to see this new stuff, we can see what’s similar to the ideas we came up with ourselves! Get the best of both!” the third said.

Sombra tried to gauge his balance, see if he could take off before he was spotted-

Then there was a shriek down below, and he nearly slipped off the roof again.

The first pegasi couldn’t help thinking he seemed extraordinarily jittery for whatever reason, but then her attention was drawn to something below.

The crowd were scattering, screaming. Something small was whizzing about underhoof, aiming for one float in particular, that had a crystal replica of the royal throne on it. As the crowd stared, the ponies atop it, dressed as a princess and her guard, were forced to flee before it attacked THEM.

But it was only interested in the crystal. In seconds it gnawed through it, its body growing as it did. Wings popped out of it's back and it buzzed aloft, licking its chops. It soon ate everything else that was made of crystal on the float, including some crystals that'd been enchanted to shine brightly in faux-metal lamps, thus feeding its strange power. It cast its gaze, looking for the next meal!

“What IS that?” one of the pegasi stared in grossed out horror. The thing looked like a blur of teeth from up there! Sombra focused his magic on it, getting a funny reading-

“Its some sort of transmorphing spell!” he blurted, eyes widening in surprise.

“You can sense that?” one of the pegasi asked.

“Of course, it's dark magic, I’d recognise it anywhere! Amateur at best, but there's no denying it...”

“It's after crystals-!”

“It’ll eat everything-!” another cried. Sombra had a flash of inspiration.

“Not if it sees something more interesting!” he declared, spreading his wings.

“What do you mean?” the first pegasi asked. Sombra answered by changing into his full Umbrum form and taking off, shooting towards the thing.

“I don’t get it.” the second frowned.

“I do.” the third, a stallion, copped onto Sombra's plan “look at him, he looks like a rare crystal! Add in he's got similar magic, that thing won't be able to resist! But if he gets bitten by it, its gonna hurt big time!”

They watched as Sombra's plan unfolded.

Just as the thing was about to lunge next for a mare wearing a richly decorated headpiece, a voice rang out.

“You want crystal, do you?” The thing paused, craning round and seeing-

Sombra. The mare and the rest of the crowd stared at this crystal Umbrum. The way the light reflected his gleaming crystal form was mesmerizing. Even more so to the creature.

Letting out a feral roar it lunged for him, teeth bared. Sombra teleported out, reappearing behind it, firing a blast at it. This slammed the critter into the ground. It hissed, reforming it's body so the wings were bigger and it now sported claws like knives. It sped back up, using its small size comapred to the pony to dart this way and that, trying to sink its teeth into him!

It kept trying again and again to catch this delectable prey, but no matter what it tried, this crystal delicacy kept evading him!

The crowd below stared, the speed of the fight between a possessed whatever-it-was and Sombra like something from a book! Magic met claw swipes, leaving cracks in the creatures façade. It may have been small, but it was tough!

At last it managed to feint and catch Sombra off guard. It sank its teeth into his ear, cackling in glee. Sombra shut his eyes, struggling to maintain flight as he powered up a spell. There was a flash and the creature was sent flying off him by a blast that seemed to originate from the inside of the Umbrum's body. Sombra wasted no more time, shooting forward and udner it as it fell. He used the edge of one wing to hit it, stun it, and send it flying up into the sky.

By the time it reached it the apex of its flight, he was there again. He closed his eyes, conjuring up a spell to shut this thing DOWN. It screeched in helpless fury as a blast of purple-white magic wrapped around it, closing in even as it fought!

Down below everypony had to shield their eyes as there was a flash and a BANG.

When they opened their eyes they seen a jewelled necklace hit the ground. Then Sombra touched down, approaching the fallen jewel. He lifted it with his magic, studying it intently.

“Is it...is it safe?” one pony asked at last.

“Yes,” Sombra replied, nodding “the spells been unwound. Now it's harmless.”

“What kind of spell WAS that?” another cried. Sombra tilted his head to the side, recalling the spell he'd just unpicked.

“Dark magic. Given its a necklace, a somewhat intimate gift, it was likely a revenge strike. Designed to destroy. Thats a nasty motive in ANY case. I will say THIS, whoever cast it did NOT fully know what they were doing. This thing was set to absorb crystal energy and any other magic with no way to make it stop. Anyone truly versed in dark magic would know better, put in a way to reign it in. Likely, this thing wouldnt have stopped after its intended target! It would have just....kept on going!"

He noted the spell felt...old. So there was no telling who had caused its existance! All the same he memorized the spell, perhaps he could work it out later, find out who was behind it.

"Given its only awakened NOW, i'll warrant its original recipient never wore it, or even got it."

“Whoa...” the crowd broke into excited curious whispers.

Sombra tucked it into his saddlebag “I’ll bring it to the guard, maybe somepony will come looking for it?”

“Thank goodness THAT'S over!” somepony else said, and the ponies began to approach the floats to check the damage.

“Ohhh, look what that thing did!” the mare dressed in a traditional empire royal dress cried in dismay as she and the stallion dressed as her guard regarded their float. Sure enough, the crystal throne had been demolished by the things appetite.

“It took AGES to put that together!” the stallion said despairingly. The mare teared up, looking utterly devastated.

It really meant so much to them, didn’t it? Sombra seen the mare starting to cry, and was reminded of Queen Haydon. How she and her husband had been the ones to suffer after Scorpan had done his damage. This situation felt the same, albeit on a different scale. But an innocent party was still left to pick up the pieces….

Hoping they wouldn’t object to his assistance, he walked over to them.

“Stand back..” the mare and stallion turned as Sombra approached “there may be a way!”

They stood behind him as he closed his eyes, recalling the image he held of the throne from his memory from before he'd remodelled the palace's decor.

Jaws dropped as spell lines etched themselves into the ground around Sombra, then abruptly raced up and over the float. There, they formed a wire-frame replica of the throne, in exact detail.

“Now..” Sombra murmured to himself, using his instinctive Umbrum ability to create a very unique crystal. The air inside the wire frame seemed to grow foggy, then solid, then-

With a flash, it finalised. The throne was back, good as new, better even! From his memory, Sombra had added some distinctive markings he recalled from his time in the empire, even adding a jewelled symbol of the empire at the chairs top.

When he seen the other decorations had been gnawed too, he reconstructed those from memory as well. But as with the chair, some familiar touches were added, detailed things he recalled from his days in the palace.

At last it was finished, and he shut off his magic. He felt a bit light-headed, he wasn’t fully recovered yet, as Discord had pointed out. He turned back to the couple behind him.

"It's not exactly as it was before, I apologise, but-” he cut off as the two just stared, jaws hanging open.

“Is-?” but he didn't get to finish, as the female shrieked in delight, startling Sombra. He scooted back, wings pomf-ing a little before he stopped them, as the mare and her stallion shared a delighted hug and danced around in a circle.

“I love it!!” she declared, as they raced over and onto the float.

“Allow me my lady..” the stallion declared with a flourish as he guided her to the throne, where she sat down and even effected a regal wave!

The crowd clapped and giggled, amused by this display. Sombra smiled, tucking his wings back down as he turned to slip through the crowd.

“Wait! You’re not leaving, surely?” he stopped and glanced back in confusion as the mare spotted his attempted exit.

“I don’t think his name's Shirley...” One pony joked to his friend, prompting giggle-fits amongst them.

“The problem has been dealt with, there's nothing more for me to do here. Your free to carry on with what you were doing,” Sombra honestly couldn’t think think what else he could do, “unless anything else got eaten?”

“Nope, this was as far it got!” the stallion brushed some bits of crystal debris off the float.

“This is beautiful, I’ve never seen crystal like this, its got so many colours in it!” the mare looked from it to Sombra “how did you make this?”

“I don’t know, truthfully. It appears to just be an inherited memory from my predecessors, that’s all I know.” Sombra finished.

“Such detail, it's amazing!” a pony carrying a clipboard peered at the versions Sombra had created “this looks like traditional empire design, only more intricate!”

“It's...from an earlier time period.” Sombra said uncomfortably. His wings twitched, again sensing their owners desire to flee the scene.

The mare and what was clearly her colt-friend hopped down and approached Sombra. The mare removed something from around her neck. It was a mini replica crystal heart on a lengthy gold chain. It was this that allowed her to loop it over their rescuers neck and settle it around his neck.

“As a thank you!” she insisted as Sombra made to object “Thanks to your magic, we wont have to cancel the parade! We spent so long planning it, it would be heart breaking to see it grounded because of an accidental spell gone awry!”

“Exactly!” her stallion nodded “thanks man!”

“I made this by hoof, to mimic the real heart. It suits you!” she nodded, then asked “will you stay to watch us? We'd like that!”

Sombra found he couldn’t refuse, not when she'd been so accepting of his help. And her gift as well. It was important to her, yet she'd given it to HIM. Still feeling as if he stuck out a mile, he nonetheless gave a firm nod.

It did pop up in his mind this was THEM trying to adjust to HIM as much as it was the other way around. That lessened the pressure somewhat.

She grinned “Awesome!”.

“Nice.” Her friend added with a nod.

“Oh, I'm Golden Glitter by the way, and this is my coltfriend Speed Streak!”

Sombra honestly told them it was a pleasure, and they smiled. Glitter asked if Umbrum magic was a separate type?

“For the others yes, but mines….abnormal.” Sombra sighed, how to explain it?

“I lived in disguise for so long without knowing what I was, my magic manifested as something that actually exists, hence dark magic. But now the Umbrum power is starting to grow, they seem to be blending together.”

“Whoa, cool!” one of the surrounding crowd said in awe. Sombra glanced at the voices owner, seeing it was a unicorn. He was surprised, thinking they'd consider it freakish that even his magic wasn’t quite right. But the crowd seemed pretty intrigued.

“Nothing like that’s ever existed before, that’s pretty amazing! Imagine what could be learned about your new magic?” Golden Glitter pondered.

“I never thought about it,” Sombra said honestly “trying to get used to everything changing is exhausting enough!”

While they were talking, Sombra noticed a small crowd of various, well he'd call them teams maybe, were gathering nearby.

“Is ah, something the matter?” he asked Golden Glitter subtly “they seem to be, how do I phrase it? Amassing?”

“Hm? OH! One moment..” She chuckled and trotted over to the group.

“Psst,” Speed Streak sidled up “don’t worry dude, I get startled by so many ladies at once!” he nudged the stallion and grinned.

“That's not why I was asking-!” Sombra objected, but Speed Streak seemed oblivious, so the bigger pony just shrugged his wings and shut up.

Golden Glitter returned, smiling hopefully at Sombra “they were admiring the changes you made to the float, and they were wondering if you'd be able spruce theirs up too?” She giggled “theyre a little envious it seems! It's no trouble if you cant do it, I cant help but notice you seem a little pale?”

“It's nothing, just a bad night,” Sombra politely dismissed any concerns, “and if it doesn't bother them, then I don’t foresee any problem.”

“Alright!” the ever optimistic Glitter whooped, doing a happy jump “follow me!”

“I'll finish cleaning the debris up!” Speed Streak grinned, earning a delighted kiss on the cheek from his marefriend. Golden Glitter then all but TOWED Sombra away with her, tagging the first group from the crowd, talking a mile a minute!

The rest of the float designers were as delighted as Golden Glitter when they seen the detail Sombra was able to replicate. It really gave the floats an extra touch!

There was some slight chaos when one mare tripped up carrying a pot of glitter, and the container sort of exploded on impact with the ground. This meant everypony in the vicinity, including poor Sombra, got liberally sprayed with silver glitter. Sombra sneezed, shook himself, then sneezed again. A couple of the mares giggled, it was kind of adorable the way he scrunched his nose and frowned, as if DARING one more sneeze to bother him!

Most of it came off quite easily as he was still in his Umbrum form. But when he changed back to his normal pony form a little later, there was still a smudge of it on his nose. Naturally, nopony told him, it was kinda funny to see if he'd notice…

At last, the final float was finished, each one bearing some form of Umbrum magiced-up decoration. And Sombra was feeling light headed again.

Golden Glitter and Speed Streak once more thanked him for staying and helping them! They were so honestly happy with him being there, Sombra was content to accept it. For the first time in days he felt at ease-

His ears pricked up as he heard a worried mare asking if anyone had seen a-

The crowds noise drowned out the rest so Sombra got up and walked closer, hearing her repeat;

“-Jewel? It's the craziest thing, it just-”

“Came to life?” Sombra spoke up. She yelped, and Sombra instinctively stepped back, wings raised in alarm.

“Oh-!” She gave a sigh “sorry, you scared the hay outta me, I didn't see you there!” She regarded him curiously, he was the LAST pony she'd expected to see here “did you just say-?”

She trailed off as Sombra retrieved the jewelled necklace from his saddlebag, holding it up for her to see.

“That’s the jewel! It was the strangest thing,” she shook her head “That necklace suddenly changed when I used my magic to check it over. One second it's just another antique, the next it's BLINKING at me and tearing out the door in a flash! It looked like a ball with teeth, have you ever heard the like?”

“Not to date ma'am. On the subject of teeth, it DID manage to wolf down a display in its near entirety,” Sombra said with a wince “seems it was imbued with an appetite!”

“Is it-?” she regarded the necklace with hesitation.

“The spell is gone, I dismantled it completely. It's just a normal necklace now!” He handed it over to her, and she put it in her bag with a sigh of relief.

“What was it?” she asked.

“A sloppily executed dark magic spell, likely a vengance attack. A necklace is a very...specific target.”

Her eyebrows rose “really? Goodness me, that sounds nasty! Why on equestria would somepony create a spell that does that?!"

“I cannot begin to imagine,” Sombra shook his head “a jilted lover? An angry associate? I can only guess. Was anything else in your shop damaged?"

”No, just this one, the rest of the shipment was fine! It's magic must have been dormant all this time.”

Sombra nodded “my theory precisely, it's highly likely it was kept in storage for a LONG time before you got hold of it. Long enough for it to lapse into a stasis of sorts.”

"I hope the damage wasnt too bad-" she began.

"Its been fixed, it wasnt able to do much." Sombra assured her.

“I don't know how you managed it, but you got it back in one piece, thank you!” she offered the pony a grateful smile. Even though she was still leery of the powerful-looking stallion, so far he'd been perfectly polite, and he HAD returned her necklace safe and sound.

“It was easy enough to unravel the spell, the difficult part was catching the little s.o.b!” Sombra shook his head in memory.

She nodded, then did a double take and peered closer at him “is that a bite mark on your ear?”

“Yes,” Sombra coughed “it decided to try taking a chunk out of my crystal form.”

Her eyebrows rose, she'd heard about the crystal transformation. It was supposedly very stunning, a living crystal pony!

“So, is this-” she indicated the normal looking pony (bar the crystal wings) stood in front of her “an illusion?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Sombra nodded. Illusion was how he'd been thinking of it.

“Doesn’t it drain your magic?”

Sombra shook his head “from what I’m able to tell, it uses next to nothing. What's a suitable analogy?” he thought a moment, then settled on one “It's no different to putting on clothing! You don’t notice it, and it's not a drain.”

The curious crowd exchanged whispers and murmurs, wondering just how Umbrum magic worked? It seemed quite advanced!

“Well, thank you for getting that necklace back! My husband will be very relieved to see it!” She smiled, much more honestly this time, before trotting away.

“Okay everypony, 5 minutes till start!” The parade organizer called out through a megaphone now the curiosity had been satisfied “places please!”

“Woohoo!” Golden Glitter reappeared by Sombra “come on, I’ve reserved a special seat for you!”

True to her word, she'd found him a prime spot to watch the parade from. The pegasi he'd bumped into earlier flew down to join him.

“Not a bad plan..” the first one he'd met said with a grin. “well, mostly..” indicating Sombra's ear.

“Indeed. Bitey little thing.” Sombra chuckled faintly.

More fireworks went off, and Sombra barely kept a lid on his easily startled wings. That would take some getting adjusted to, but the fireworks were quite stunning in their show stopping glory!

When she spotted him from the float, Glitter waved in his direction, with a great big grin appearing when he waved back. It made him feel a little less worried to be able to sit outside and not feel on edge over whether he was going to be in danger.

--Could Discord be right, WAS that spell just a one off attempt to resurrect the past? Can I hope for so much?-- he tried to keep those concerns at bay, and just relax, but he knew it'd be a long time before he truly felt at ease completely.

He thought that was the last of the attention, but Golden Glitter went one step further then he expected and told the crowd at the end who'd helped them rebuild the throne! They were surprised, and Sombra suddenly found himself in the spotlight, at which point it was a sheer effort not to leg it back into obscurity, aka the palace.

But, when he finally stopped trying to cram his highly-strung wings back down, he seen they weren’t glaring. They seemed curious, and they were even applauding! He couldn’t help a small but happy smile. Which as luck would have it was caught by a close enough pony with a camera. With it being broad daylight, there was no flash so Sombra didn't even notice!

Once the parade was over and the crowd began to disperse, Sombra said farewell to Golden Glitter and Speed Streak. He walked back to the palace, rerunning the days events so far through his head. It'd felt nice to be able to relax…

He encountered Discord en route to his own room. On spotting him, the Draconequus finally stopped pranking the latest set of guards and turned his attention to Sombra's whereabouts.

“You must’ve enjoyed yourself!” Discord chuckled “I was starting to think you'd gotten lost! Wait, hold on, you got something on your face-”

He brushed the remainder of the glitter off the stallions muzzle, laughing as it made Sombra sneeze and scrunch his nose. “What WERE you getting up to that involved glitter?”

So Sombra told him the whole story, and Discord was impressed Sombra hadn’t legged it. Judging by Sombra's body language and expression, the stallion was...happy!

--About time you got that look on your face, Sombra..-- he mused, relieved to see that haunted, saddened expression off the pony's face for a while.

“Is she the one who gave you this?” he asked, spotting the necklace Golden Glitter had gifted him.

“Yes, after I fixed the float.” Sombra nodded, then chuckled dryly “A crystal heart that wont try to drive me batty. Makes a nice change...”

“Hey, don't go getting mopey! Come with me, I have the most EPIC prank to show you!” the chaos being cackled. Sombra ditched his saddlebags in his room and followed after Discord, admittedly curious to see what this prank WAS.

That night, Sombra fell asleep still wearing the faux-heart pendant around his neck. He felt better then he had in the previous few days, but he was STILL nervous about the fact he'd accepted the role as the Umbrum's ruler.

--Please let me do the right thing this time. It's all I want...-- was his last thought as he drifted asleep.

But in what felt like a brief sneeze of time, he was woken by an unnamed SOMETHING in his room. He could sense it there. Opening his eyes, he seen the room was being permeated by a blue light.

--Blue…?-- he wondered, then put two and two together and bolted up in bed. The bed covers slithered to the floor as he stared at what was hovering in the middle of the room.

The Crystal Heart. The REAL one.

“No!” Sombra shook his head, staring at it “No, don’t do this...”

He tried to run, wings helping to propel him off the bed and send him racing for the door. But tendrils of blue magic lashed out from the hovering artefact and wrapped around his wings and midsection, holding him up in the air so he couldn’t escape it. He could only stare straight at it, as it brought him closer.

“What do you want?!” he cried, but the thing didn’t answer. It just began to glow brighter. He really began to panic then.

“HAY! SOMEPONY-” he began to call out in the vain hope a guard would hear him, but the Heart acted faster.

A beam of bright blue magic suddenly lanced from its centre, to the replica on the necklace Golden Glitter had given Sombra. Intense pain fired along every nerve, and a desperate cry of agony was all that escaped Sombra now. Somewhere in the haze, he could hear hammering at the door, but the Heart wasn’t going to be interrupted.

Faint words filtered through the pain, words he realised were coming from the Heart.

“I'm sorry this has to hurt. Bear with it, it wont hurt for much longer. Then the past can never be repeated...”

“What...do you mean?” Sombra gasped, tears blurring his vision as he fought to keep his mind steady against the steady influx of magic his very species couldn’t fight! It felt like his blood was made of molten magic, searing in his veins!

“The Princess took me inside to study me in the hopes she could find out more about the conflict between me and you. Through her I learnt what had transpired, and I wish to set things right with you. I can give you the immunity to my influence, my power. It is up to you to transfer it to the others, you have the ability.”

“You mean we….won't have to fear you…?” Sombra laboured to talk steady amidst all this.

“Exactly. You wont have to suffer the madness of the past again.”

“I...I’m sorry..” Sombra shut his eyes as he fought to stay conscious “for EVERYTHING I did.”

“I know. You have a strong heart, now that darkness has cleared. Thus I entrust this immunity unto you…”

One last jolt of painful electricity to his very core, and he knew it was over. Blurredly, he seen the heart pulse once more, and the sound of a door crashing off its hinges echoed on the edge of his awareness. Then came the sensation of being set gently on the floor, and after that, only blackness.

Discord had once again sensed the errant, overloading power of the Umbrum stallion, but something else was mixed in too. Curious, he flew up to Sombra's room, where two guards were trying to force the door open. Blue light spilled out from under the door, and Discord was concerned to hear Sombra cry out in pain. What was going on? A magical force was holding the door shut, he couldn't break it!

At last the spell receded, and the guards next kick sent the door crashing open. They raced in, and skidded to a halt at the scene before them. The Crystal Heart was floating in the air, coils of magic holding a semi-conscious Sombra in the air. As they stood there in surprised silence, it carefully set him down, where Sombra duly passed out.

The glow faded, and the heart fell to the floor, one of the guards doing an admirable lunging manoeuvre to catch it in his hooves.

“What in Celestia's mane is going on?” The other guard asked “what was the Heart doing here?”

“I don't know, but it clearly wanted Sombra. And whatever it was doing, it didn’t want us intervening until it was done!” Discord crouched by Sombra, shaking the pony's shoulder.

“Is he OK?” the first guard asked.

“I think so, hopefully whatever it did didn’t hurt him!” the chaos being grumbled.

“Should we call a doctor?” the other guard suggested, but Sombra stirred then.

“Ugh…” he groaned, hesitantly opening his eyes. His vision focused on the Draconequus and two guards that were studying him with expressions of confusion and concern.

With help he was soon sat up, back resting against the end of the bed.

“What happened sir?” one guard asked.

“I...I was asleep, and the next thing I know the Heart was here. Seems it had something it wanted to give me...”

“Which was what? It sounded painful!” The second guard blurted “we could hear you yelling in agony from down the hall!”

“I-it did hurt...” Sombra shivered in memory.

“Why was it trying to hurt you?!” Discord frowned, it didn’t make sense!

“It wasn’t! Not like you think...” Sombra took a deep breath to steady his stomach “It wanted...to grant immunity to its power.”

“By torturing you?” guard number one asked incredulously “some method it has!”

He stared at the heart his partner was holding, in disbelief. This had never occurred before!

“To create an immunity, a certain amount of the dangerous or infectious material has to be introduced to the body. It used the maximum power it theorized I could tolerate, for long enough to force me to adapt to it. I doubt it could’ve been painlessly done in any manner..” Sombra explained.

“Smartass.” Discord joked, making Sombra smile weakly. But he looked exhausted, shivering slightly.

“Do you need a doctor?” the second guard asked. Sombra shook his head.

“NO, I am perfectly fine, just a few aches and pains. I just want to sleep...”

“And up you go!” Discord said, using his tail to lift him up and set him down on the bed. Sombra gave a sleepy yawn and curled up in an ball, falling asleep in a second.

“Wow, he wasn't kidding.” the guards stared at the oblivious stallion as he just passed out without reservation.

“I suggest you get that back where it belongs before somepony panics!” Discord motioned to the Heart “seems its done with its crazy hi-jinks!”

As they left, Discord grabbed the covers from the floor and draped them over the deeply asleep pony. Then he left Sombra to sleep...

Author's Note

What Sombra feels in reaction to the crowd mirrors my own fear of crowds. A mix of agrophobia and a general dislike of crowds, i freak out at the unfamliar contact! Its not fun... :fluttershbad: Ive suffered panic attacks in the past, they aint nice.

Lingering Doubts

Sombra rolled out of bed the next afternoon, having slept like a log after the exhaustion of the night.

As he sat up with a yawn, a glimmer of light caught his eyes, and he stared absently at a replica miniature of the Crystal Heart draped around his neck-

All thoughts of ~~breakfast~~/~~lunch~~/what time was it anyway? stopped there, and his eyes widened.

"BUCK ME-!" he swore, shooting out the door.

The guard standing a short ways down the hall heard Sombra swear and started towards the room, wondering what further strife the stallion could’ve gotten into? But as he reached the doors, he was nearly bowled over by the aforementioned pony when he came barrelling out of the room.

He shook his head in befuddlement as Sombra charged by. The pony raced down a flight of stairs and was gone! But instead of a look of panic as seemed to be the case lately, he seen Sombra was smiling, a look of hope all over his face...

Sombra pelted through the halls, feeling more hopeful than he dared dream-!

Up ahead, a group of the palace's political staff were convening in front of one of the offices.

Realising he couldn’t slow in time, Sombra activated his magic. With two sharp flashes he disappeared and reappeared on the other side of them.

"Sorry!" he yelled back over his shoulder as he pelted down the stair well, heart feeling about to burst with anticipation.

"What’s gotten into him?" one of the ponies asked.

“Who knows? He seems to exist in his own world from what I’ve heard!” One older pony sniffed a little snootily “rumour has it that Scorpan business did some permanent damage to his head!”

“I dunno..” a younger one piped up “BEFORE? Now THAT was damaged!”

What HAD gotten into Sombra? An immunity.

As he headed down the stairs, his memories replayed the moment the heart had said he was now immune to it, and he wanted to make sure this dream had come true-!

"Where are you running?" his friend and confidant, Discord, appeared floating leisurely alongside. Sombra grinned.

"Out to see the heart!" he called.

"Why would you do that- OHHH." Discord caught up and the two exchanged grins. Together they charged out the door and straight to the crystal heart. It pulsed slightly as Sombra slowed down. Heart thudding he approached, took a deep breath and reached out to touch it.

Nothing. No pain, no headaches. He tapped it with his hoof. A small, ecstatic laugh escaped him.

"Well would you look at that.." Discord grinned "how does it feel?"

"Nothing, like...nothing!" Sombra let out a loud laugh that attracted the stares of a couple of guards and some passers-by, as he turned to look at his friend. "It has no effect at ALL!"

Discord made confetti appear from thin air, which made Sombra smile again.

"I cant believe it..." Sombra whispered, this was a dream come true "I can make them ALL immune!"

"Indeed you can, silly Sombra! Heh, bet that's a load off, hm?" Discord added, scratching behind Sombra's left ear whilst watching the pony’s expressions. Sombra looked relieved, and slightly dazed.

“Now I need to figure out how to transfer it to the others?”

“You’ve done it once before already!” Discord reminded him “remember?”

Of course! When he'd calmed the Umbrum's rage he'd dispersed a great deal of magic from his crystal form.

It was so clear now…

Sombra felt like his mind was going a mile a minute, as he struggled to think clearly amidst the excitement of having this final piece of the puzzle in his hooves.

“Let's go!” Discord wrapped his tail around Sombra's middle as he'd done many times before and took off inside. Being hijacked so randomly made Sombra laugh out loud, still giddy with relief that he hadn’t imagined the Hearts visit last night!

Discord raced for the cave where the Umbrum were. They whizzed past the guards standing vigil by the Umbrum's temporary home.

“What...did I just see?” one asked.

“A blur that bid us good morning?”

“Thought so, just checking.”

After about two seconds, curiosity got the better of the two of them. He and the other guard ran down the steps, in time to witness an unusual sight.

They seen Sombra, his crystal form shining with a radiant light, standing in the middle of the room. The Umbrum ghosts were appearing from the crystal embedded in the walls. Hundreds of pony shaped wisps were packing into the cavern, and two more solid looking ones stood in front of him.

The guards came to a halt at the bottom of the steps, mesmerised...

Sombra raised his head, smiling happily.

"It starts now!" he whispered, then the light exploded outwards. It was bright and beautiful, combining many different colours.

The Umbrum closed their eyes, but soon opened them when they felt what was in the light. A guarantee of hope, of safety. Even those who wouldn't fit in the room, that were slumbering still inside the crystal stasis could feel it, KNEW what was going on even in the depths of slumber.

At last the light faded, and Sombra lowered his wings.

"Infinitum-!" Excel looked at him "how-?"

"The Heart, it came from the Crystal Heart. It showed up last night, said it wished to give me an immunity to its influence. And that’d I’d know how to give it to you..."

She hugged him tightly, starting to cry in joy.

"Then...we can go outside properly now?" Firefly asked.

Sombra nodded.

Discord looked at the guards, who looked stunned.

"What just happened?" one asked at last.

"Before now, the Crystal Heart was dangerous to Umbrum's, it caused them such agony that they lost control. The Crystal Heart showed up last night, intent on helping Sombra become immune to it. Get me?" Discord finished.

"Whoa."

"Pretty neat, no?" the Draconequus was grinning widely "his ponies will be safe at last, and he can finally start to relax."

"YAYY!" Firefly whizzed past "I wanna go see it!"

"Firefly!” Sombra and Excel groaned, that kid had no off switch it seemed!

"I'll get her!" Sombra assured Excel, before racing past the guards and after the small child.

When he reached her she was doing the most hilarious thing possible.

The Heart normally hovered between two crystal spikes, slowly rotating. Little Firefly was clinging to the heart, giggling in glee as it spun around. Needless to say, this was attracting a crowd.

"Firefly-!" The crowd looked over at Sombra as he face-hoofed on seeing what she was doing, "that’s not a toy!"

"But it dun hurt!" she giggled "it's nice now!"

Sombra chuckled, striding over to her and using his magic to scoop her off it. She giggled as he sat her on his back, snuggling up to the crystal wings.

"Sorry," Sombra said to the crowd, seeing their bewildered expressions "she's just discovered the Crystal Heart's magic wont damage our kind any more. She's a little hyper."

"What do you mean, won't damage you?" one pony asked.

Another piped up before Sombra could, "the Crystal heart used to hurt them, that's what started the whole accidental war according to the Princess!" the mare looked to Sombra for confirmation.

"We had no way of being immune. I had a very slight immunity, but all that did was stave it off for a while, eventually its influence got to me too," he sighed sadly as he recalled it "it was so gradual now I think back. I didn’t see it."

"The heart did that?" one pony said sadly.

"Its.." Sombra sighed, thinking "it's like a virus, I suppose. Imagine its confined to a village. Those that have lived around it all their lives will be immune, their body’s adapted. But say somepony comes to live there from outside the village. An outsiders immune system wont recognise it, and will get sick. A tough immune system may suffer lesser effects, but it will still take its toll."

"Wow.." a familiar voice piped up "you study science and medicine?"

Sombra looked over, seeing Twilight Sparkle at the front of the crowd.

"Princess," he did as the crowd were doing, and gave a polite bow "in answer to your question, I have been reading many books in both Canterlot and here. There is a lot to catch up on!"

Twilight Sparkle beamed, "an excellent idea, books are a great source of-"

"Coming through!" Rainbow Dash's voice cut Twilight Sparkle off as she zoomed up, followed by Pinkie Pie and the others.

Sombra greeted the young mares, their dragon, and Princess Celestia.

"You’re looking much better Sombra," Celestia smiled warmly "it's good to see you!"

Sombra nodded, he was happy to see them all again!

"Hello!" hearing new voices, Firefly poked her head up from over Sombra's wing.

"AWWW!" Rarity squeed "she’s just darling!"

Firefly buzzed her wings and flew over to the new ponies. The girls loved her enthusiasm as they introduced themselves. When she seen Celestia's mane, she was entranced.

"It's so pretty!" she cried, eyes sparkling. Celestia chuckled happily, and offered the little Umbrum pegasus a ride on her back.

"We have SO much to tell you, darling!" Rarity was beaming ear to ear.

Cadance welcomed Twilight Sparkle with their signature "sunshine" song and a big hug. Spike caught Sombra's attention during this time, telling him he'd brought new comics to show him! This made Sombra smile, he was growing quite fond of those illustrated tales.

After they'd all finished reuniting, Sombra dropped Firefly off with Excel and the others. The Umbrum were delighted to meet the two Princesses along with the five friends. After a half hour visit, Pinkie Pie had to be towed away, as she was so happy chasing Firefly and letting the ghostly ponies pat her bouncy mane.

"We'll visit soon." Sombra chuckled.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie grinned!

As they headed for the room reserved for their meeting, Sombra seen a group of guards walking a pony who was under restraint. Sombra wondered who it was, that pony gave him an unsettled feeling deep inside...

But this was soon forgotten as the door clicked shut behind him.

Celestia explained the letters she'd been sent had detailed all the incidents that'd happened. The attempted revival of the tyrannical side of Sombra, and his efforts with the citizens of the Empire.

"I’m so glad to see the Umbrum are OK," Twilight Sparkle smiled "it's amazing that this race hasn’t been seen in so long!"

"I'm just relieved I was able to calm them. They were furious when I encountered them again. They didn’t recognise what I was until I dropped the illusion," he looked up at Celestia and smiled faintly "then again, I’m sure Discord's letters told you that already?"

"You knew it was him?" she asked, seeming surprised.

"He said something once before that made me realise," Sombra smiled "specifically about it being easier if I didn’t have to keep repeating those memories."

Fluttershy smiled, she was glad to see Discord seemed to be getting more used to being a proper friend. She'd asked Discord to try help Sombra, but she hadn’t expected the reluctant Draconequus to do much beyond try using his magic to make it less traumatic for Sombra to remember the information they had desperately sought. Instead, he'd ended up befriending the lost pony, cheering him up in a dark time. Also, lots of coconut puns.

Celestia brought out a map, showing Sombra a big stretch of land nestled between mountain ranges and a forest.

"It's big, a bit overgrown, but I have teams out there clearing it, what do you think?" she asked.

"It looks perfect!" Sombra felt a surge of relief and happiness.

"It's peaceful, not too secluded, but you'll all have plenty of space to live and expand…" Celestia explained.

"They'll love it." Sombra nodded, feeling almost light headed. He was immensely relieved, grateful, and overwhelmed.

But they weren't done yet.

"We realised there’d need to be a lot of building work done, so we asked around~" Twilight piped up.

Applejack pulled some letters from her bag.

"See, what we did was go around tellin' everypony what tha story was. That we wanted to help our friend build a whole new home, and we would rightly appreciate any help they could give! They were pretty surprised, but..."

"Once we told them the WHOLE story, they were quite open to giving the benefit of the doubt as it were, darling! We’ve got a lot of materials and quite a workforce waiting!" Rarity finished.

"Ooh! Guess who else said they’d help?" Pinkie Pie grinned.

"Who?" Sombra asked.

"The King and Queen of the gargoyle kingdom." Fluttershy said, smiling softly.

"Haydon and Vorak.." Sombra remembered, they'd been so kind to him after what Scorpan had done.

"They said they’d be honoured to help. They’re pretty cool." Rainbow Dash added.

"They certainly are." Sombra agreed, looking over everything that’d been placed before him. "I cannot thank you enough for all of this! I had no idea how to start finding them a home."

"Aww, is okay!" Pinkie Pie glomp-hugged him, her mane tickling his nose and making him laugh "that’s what friends are for~!"

"So I’ve learned." Sombra said, and she grinned even wider as she let him go, and did a celebratory bounce around the room!

"How's the wings?" Rainbow Dash asked, peering at the crystal appendages.

"Easier, they’re getting easier." Sombra smiled "I still cant land very well, however."

"You should have SEEN him do a perfect face-plant landing!" A familiar voice snickered.

"Discord." Sombra half sighed, half laughed.

"Who else!" he appeared behind Sombra and tweaked his ears, as was his custom.

"Face-plant?" Rainbow Dash giggled.

"Hay!" Sombra glowered at Discord "that wasn’t ALL my fault! That twisted spell was messing with my head!"

In a display of maturity, Discord just blew a raspberry.

Sombra snorted, shook his head and laughed.

Celestia rolled her eyes in amusement, but she couldn’t help smiling. Sombra seemed much brighter, few of the shadows that’d haunted his eyes remained there now. His coat was looking shinier, an indicator his health must be improving. He'd also filled out a bit more, looking less undernourished then the last time she'd seen him! He looked like a healthy, happy pony.

But the fact he smiled easily now was the biggest relief. Discord had described Sombra's struggles with his prior crimes, and the fact the Umbrum had asked him to be their ruler once more hadn’t surprised her. Sombra understood them, longed to see them free. He was destined to to lead them.

Once the others had gone ahead for dinner, she asked Sombra to stay with her awhile.

"Discord told me of the Umbrum's request..." she began, and Sombra winced.

"I still cant get my head around it," he admitted, shoulders slumping as he let out a sigh "it feels so awkward!"

"You find you can't accept it?" she asked.

Sombra sighed guilty, and closed his eyes, teleporting a box from his room to the table in front of him.

"This is the crown they made for me. I know I promised I would honor their choice, Discord was quick to remind me of that! He even tried to forewarn me I think. He said I may not expect their decision. He was right. I never expected they'd choose ME."

"Did you really try to give up hope?" she asked. He nodded.

"I didn’t WANT to potentially lose them. But I was sick of hiding the past, so I gave them every single memory, even the bad ones. I was convinced they’d find me a monster, that they’d understand why I offered THEM the choice."

"They understood more than you expected, didn’t they?" she read his expression, and he nodded.

"They said they seen no danger, that they wished I would stop punishing myself. But I’m not sure I know HOW!"

He got up, pacing over to the window and peering out at the shimmering Empire. His heart ached as he recalled the fun of the parade. The necklace Golden Glitter had given him hung around his neck, reminding him of that happy memory.

"I caused so much trouble back then, I was surprised they could be so kind. That day at the parade? It was wonderful."

"Yes, Discord sent the newspaper, it had a photo." Celestia smiled and pulled the article from her bag.

"There was a newspaper-?" Sombra cut off as the paper came to a stop floating in front of him. He held it in his own magic, and let his gaze roam over the text.

"The celebratory parade very nearly came to a halt after a rogue spell escaped from storage. Transported from outside the Empire in a shipment, it was accidentally awoken and proceeded to rampage its way to the parade prep area. Damage was minimal, thanks in whole to the intervention of Sombra. Opinions have, to date, varied over whether his efforts to reform his behaviour have been real, despite the princesses speeches. The events of the parade have tilted the balance in Sombra's favour, naysayers present mentioned they were surprised to finally see him outside of the palace, as it was rumoured he refused to leave the palace.

One of the floats designers, Golden Glitter, was happy to let us interview her:

"I was surprised when he showed up, all crystal like that! It looked so beautiful. I’d heard rumours about it, but I’d never seen something so elegant! He made that little critter mad enough to attack HIM, then gave it a good thrashing! He said it was likely a vengeful spell, set by somepony who didn’t know what they were doing! His magic's something else!"

We asked what her impression of the former terror of the crystal Empire was, and she had this to say:

"He's very nice! I was surprised by how quiet he was. But he's obviously very clever, and seems to notice more then he lets on. He fixed our float, made it better than ever! All the others wanted him to help them too, they really admired his efforts! But he seemed so fidgety, they were afraid he'd turn them down! But he didn't, he spruced up each and every one of them! That’s how our parade turned out twice as awesome as it started!

I’m glad he decided to stay and watch. he looked a little nervous, like he might fly away if anypony startled him, but he stayed even after it was over! He still looks the same, but he doesn’t remind me of the past at all. A smile suits him!"

Her colt-friend, Speed Streak asked if he could add a message for the former King; "Thanks for your help, dude! PS – chicks were digging the wings!"

Sombra spluttered and went red in embarrassment at that bit, making Celestia chuckle. His expressions were amusing, and showed so much...

"There you have it," the article finished "proof from the pony himself this isn’t the fear from the past. A dormant leader for a long missing race, we wish him best of luck in getting his kind free and re-homed!"

Then he spotted the photo Celestia mentioned. He was keeping one hoof on his right wing, trying to keep the flighty appendage under control. But there was no hiding the smile, subtle as it was. He seen himself as they did. Nervous, but happy to feel welcome there.

"Seems you’ve made a good impression so far." Celestia smiled.

"I didn’t realise..." Sombra trailed off, voice coming to a halt, unsure what to say.

Celestia walked over and held out what’d been inside the box. The crown he still strove to avoid wearing.

"The next step is THIS. Discord says you still shy away from it. I got the impression he let slip some of the tales of my early days."

Sombra chuckled "he uh, did mention that yes..."

"I wasn’t always this capable. When Luna and I were young, why, we fretted day in day out whether we were doing right, whether the populace liked us. Its a scary road. But you’re smart, and clear headed enough to get it right this time. So..?" She held up the wonderfully crafted crown. He stared at it a moment, then nodded. She smiled proudly and set it on his head.

"There’s an enchantment on it, what does it do?" she asked.

"It links to a set of armor. Discord gave them a hand making it-!" with a flash Sombra followed the spells path and said armor appeared on him, its perfect fit settling onto his frame.

"Impressive..." Celestia examined it "it suits you!"

"I don’t know how Discord and the Umbrum made it like that, but it's a marvel..."

While he absently admired the panelling covering his crystal wings, Celestia stepped back to get a good look at him. Armored and wearing the subtle, yet fancy crown, he looked suited for the role.

He seemed to be becoming more used to his full crystal form too. He'd been wearing it the whole time since they’d encountered him outside the palace. She could swear its colours had darkened slightly from his first manifestation.

"Shall we head to dinner?" she suggested. He nodded, the crown forgotten about. But as they approached the door, it was flung open, startling them both. Sombra's wings went POMF, which made Celestia chuckle softly.

"There you are-!" The guard did a double take at the armored Umbrum, eyebrows raised "wow, okay..."

"Something wrong?" Sombra asked, spotting the gaze fixing on his crown and wondering if he could whip the thing off and hide it before too many questions arose.

"We're interrogating the ring leader of that group that tried to send you insane. He wouldn't say a single word no matter what we said so far, now suddenly he says he'll only talk to YOU. That he has a special surprise he wants to give personally. Naturally, we believe it's a trap."

"If it is, I’ll take care of it. Let's go." Sombra said firmly. Celestia said she'd tell the girls they’d see him later. He thanked her gratefully, before heading after the guard.

The guards weren’t too surprised to see Sombra arrive wearing the full armor and crown. Rumours about his ascent to a higher status in the Umbrum hierarchy had been going around ever since Discord had first told the short version of the tale to those two guards.

The prisoner, currently under magical restraint, grinned maniacally when he spotted the Umbrum pony.

"It IS you!" He cackled in glee.

"What do you want, you deranged charlatan?" Sombra snapped.

"Oh that’s rich, coming from YOU!" the pony laughed "so much power, so much cruelty, reigned in by Celestia lies-"

"Shut up!" Sombra barked, with such ferocity it actually silenced his opponent. He tried not to raise his voice as he had in the past, but at times like this it slipped back in.

"See? You cant ever escape who you are," the prisoner grinned "lie all you want, nopony will believe you-"

"Silence!" even Sombra jolted slightly as one of the guards snapped at the prisoner "your nonsense wont sway anypony here, least of all the one your aiming it at!" he shot a somewhat reassuring glance at Sombra, his back to the prisoner so the pony couldn’t see it.

The rising nausea settled a little, as Sombra got his anger and fear under control as the prisoner continued.

"It's a crime, seeing something like YOU just another pawn for those goody goody Alicorn- hahaa....you’ve even taken THAT aspect on! Bit presumptuous isn’t it?"

"All efforts to be rid of them soon taught me you cant fight a prophecy that’s waited a thousand years and then some to activate." Sombra said coldly. The guards wondered what he meant by that "all efforts" bit. Had he tried to remove them by himself?

"Well, they wont help you NOW! See, when that deranged Draconequus buddy of yours showed up, tearing all our plans to shreds, I knew the fail-safe was our last hope before these drones hauled me in!" he indicated the guards.

Sombra didn’t speak, just glared.

"It's been how long now..." the pony grinned "a matter of 2 days?"

Sombra felt the early warning bells begin to ring. But he kept his face carefully neutral.

"Why do you think I waited to desperately volunteer a confession?" he grinned "I wanted to have you here so you'd finally realise your existence here is not to be loved and adored, it's be to be feared and followed!"

Sombra lost all patience now. The guards had all backed off bar the one ahead of him. Catching the prisoners eye, Sombra snapped the massive wingspan out to maximum, at fast speed. This produced that unique snapping sound, like something shattering. It was a startling sound, almost jarring, like a whip-crack.

This, combined with the unwavering anger in Sombra's eyes, it was enough to inject a sliver of fear into the prisoners bravado.

"What. Have. You. DONE?!" His voice rose on the final word, a command fired like a magical bolt.

All the guards present couldn't help but think if they were facing an irate Sombra, they'd tell him whatever the buck he wanted! It wasn’t just the intimidating presence of the pony, it was the strength in his gaze. Whatever this idiot prisoner was planning, one way or another Sombra would get the details. That was the impression this show of force was giving...

The prisoner grinned "oh my, now THAT'S something. Heh, you want to know? I dare say that bodyguard of yours told you how he messed up our plans for this empires future, all for the goal of preserving his precious "friend"." He spat these last words out, and Sombra was again reminded of everything Discord had done for him.

"Well," the idiot continued, as Sombra fought to keep his temper in check "I designed a fail-safe in case the guard ever got wind of our plan, and tried to stuff their noses in. If I’m gone for more than 2 days, that place is set to BLOW."

This sent a wave of shock through the whole room. Sombra's insides felt like they turned to ice. Oh, buck.

"Its a very highly tuned spell. Tick tock, times a wasting. Try all you like, you’re too late!" he laughed madly.

"Where is that house?" he asked the head guard.

"I-it's on that map sir," the closest guard indicated the map pinned to the wall. Sombra raced over, memorizing it in a second.

"Nothing you can do!!" the prisoner kicked his restraints and laughed merrily.

"There’s a squad out there, combing it for evidence!" another guard went pale as the realisation sunk in.

"Time's running out gentlemen! Soon as the sun sets, you’ll have a lovely crater in your precious Empire! You see.." he caught Sombra's eye as the pony turned from the map "we didn’t just study everything we could about YOU, we studied your magic. You’re the greatest dark magic user Equestria has ever had. We strove to reach a level like yours, and all that work went into that spell!"

"You bucking-" Sombra started, then realised there was no time to waste. He closed his eyes and prepared to teleport out. Outside the window, the sun was slowly descending...

"You'll never make it, even if you can get there in time, how will you disable it?"

"To stop degenerate filth like you?" Sombra snapped "I’ll FIND a way."

With a thunderclap of magic dispersal, he vanished in a blaze of light. Left behind, the guards only hoped he'd get there in time. As that loon had said, Sombra was a master of dark magic. If anypony could find a way, surely it'd be him?

"Sweet Celestia he'd better live through this..." the head interrogator muttered.

Sombra teleported outside, flying up to maximum height. He shot by several ponies, narrowly avoiding smacking into one steering a cloud.

He looked around, before spotting the place from the map. He put as much speed behind his wings as he could, diving towards the ground to build momentum.

He shot through the tall buildings, flying lower to avoid the traffic higher up, moving on instinct.

One street he rounded was draped with party bunting. It was strung from window to window over the street, at every level, even across the lampposts. He zipped up and down between the ropes, tucking his wings in at times to avoid getting caught. At this speed, he'd likely break a wing if he fell! Another split second turn in mid air took him over the heads of some party goers.

"WHOA!" He heard in the slipstream left behind.

"Who's he racing this time?" the pony speaking had been present when Discord had brought Sombra out to a street festival by persuading the Umbrum to race him!

"I don’t think it was for funsies, he looked worried!" one mare raised an eyebrow "is something happening?"

"All I know is, he's a good flyer for a pony that refuses to USE his wings, or so I heard."

They were left discussing the Sombra torpedo, and what on Equestria he could be up to?

Sombra hit the ground running as he approached the house. His heart was hammering as he seen the guards carrying boxes out of the house.

"Get out of the way!!" he yelled, using the element of surprise to make them scatter out of his way as he charged in. They were left in the dust as he ran to the basement, anxiously scanning for the spell that madpony had alluded to-

There-! It was hidden well beyond most ponies understand of dark magic.

He stamped a hoof on the floor, realising he couldn’t use magic to blast it, that’d risk setting the explosion off.

"Freeze!" he heard the official tone of a guard and gave it no heed. He reared up on and slammed his hooves down with as much force as he dared. This cracked the floor boards, and he used his armoured hooves to break the boards away. Even grabbing one plank with his teeth and ripping it off and throwing it aside.

"What the-?!" The guard coughed as a wave of dust hit him, and he squinted blurredly at what this nutjob was up to " in the princesses name, you’re under arrest!"

Sombra dimly heard the sound of a spear being levelled in his direction, felt the hum of a unicorns magic powering up, but he couldn’t stop-

"Fire!" the lead yelled, just as Sombra stumbled back, task done at last. He snarled in pain as a magical bolt shot across his upper hind leg, where the armor didn’t cover!

"Prepare to say hello to the inside of a cell you-"

But the guard's threats died off when the dust cleared, and Sombra pulled something from the hole he'd fractured in the heavy wooden flooring.

It was an ordinary looking box. Except for the fact it was surrounded by a rapidly growing aura of energy.

"What IS that? How-?"

"This is high level dark magic, created so you’d never find it amongst all the false trails laid down in this place!" Sombra blurted as he faced the guards head on.

"I frankly don’t care if you bucking well slam me in prison for the rest of my life! If I don’t get rid of this thing, there wont be anything left to even pack into an evidence bag! This thing is set to blow and I don’t have time for games!"

He charged at them as he spoke, and they scattered once more. He ran outside, building up as much speed as he could and leaping into flight once more. His wings left that sonic cracking sound in their wake as he shot away into the darkening sky.

"Where’s he going with that thing?!" one guard said at last.

"I'd like to know what just happened?! What was that spell, and how did he know it was here?"

"We need to get this to Captain Shining Armor.." was the eventual response.

He'd never flown this fast in his life, and his wings were aching from the sudden overload in exercise! But still Sombra pushed himself ever faster, the world blurring by as he flew. The box was cradled in one foreleg, and he could feel the heat of the mounting charge even through his armor!

--Almost there, I just have to get the outskirts…!-- but he knew it was still too far-

"What do I do?!" he gasped to the roaring wind. Then he seen the shadows being cast by the encroaching night.

When he’d tried to take over the second time, he'd used the shadows to cover a large distance!

In a stroke of luck, an array of fireworks blasted into the air behind him, lengthening and sharpening the shadows for just a second. He didn’t hesitate, just dove towards them-

As he swooped down he spotted the edge of the Empire, cloaked in shadow. That was his target!

Everything became nothing for a moment, as he twisted his own form and that of the box to flit through the shadows, and shoot like an arrow into the sky bordering the Empire-!

Snow and cold hit him as he punched through the shield that kept the Empire safe and warm.

He flew as far as he could, darkness and flurries of snow his only companions.

There was no time left, he had to hope it was far enough-!

He flung it towards the heavy snowdrifts below. But he'd overestimated the time left. It detonated half way to the ground. The ensuing shock wave hit him like a hammer blow, something clipping his head and punching him out of the air, on a collision course with the snow!

He blacked out briefly, head pounding. Then he felt a trickle of something liquid running down his face. Forcing his eyes open, he seen the snow by his head was staining reddish-pink.

Focusing his wonky vision, he seen shards of debris littering the once pristine snow.

--Made it..-- he sighed in relief. He was on the verge of giving in to relief and fading adrenaline when something hit him.

The idiot that’d staged this little escapade had called HIM a monster. That madpony had been willing to wipe innocent civilians and guards off the map out of sheer spite. Fury boiled over, and he got to his hooves, all thoughts of rest discarded. He had a bone to pick with that pony.

He paused only to gather the larger shards of debris, then flew back up again towards the barrier!

Back in the room where the crazed prisoner was being held, the guard were attempting to get an answer out of their captive, but all he did was giggle madly.

"Your precious little pawn is dead!" he cackled "if he attempted to disable it, he'll have wiped himself off the map!"

There was a sudden flash of light, and a ball of magic appeared in front of the prisoner. The guards backed up, wondering what was going on. The ball expanded, forcing them back even further. The prisoner felt his bravado slip a little more. What was this??

With a familiar snapping sound, the energy vanished and Sombra appeared.

He stood as tall as his build allowed, wings raised and their sharp points curving towards the prisoner. He reminded the rooms occupants of a bird of prey ready to pounce. Blood was staining his crystal body from the cut on his head. It stood out against his crystalline fur, shining wetly in the overhead lights. His expression was cold, but his body language radiated sheer fury.

Wisely, the guard all backed up and away, staring in shock.

Sombra didn’t speak, just levitated something that'd been tucked inside his armor. The prisoner's jaw dropped as shards of debris pattered to the floor, debris which he recognised.

"How-?!" he gaped "it should've erased you, and anypony foolish enough to meddle with it! How did you-"

"Easy, I didn’t need to disable it, just get it out of the Empire's boundary." Sombra said bluntly.

"That distance, no way-?" the prisoner was starting to panic now. He'd failed to make those miserable guards, or the traitor King, pay for their interference!

"You forget who you are dealing with. Not only is my magic not the same as it was before, but neither am *I*. Your parameters were wrong." Sombra said triumphantly. He stepped even closer, looming over the babbling captive.

"You wanted to resurrect a nightmare? Well, nightmares come to an end. They can even become good dreams if you no longer have reason to BE scared!" Sombra ignored everypony else in the room, directing his anger at the one who deserved it.

The captive had run out of words, in the face of such fury. This wasn’t the King he'd sought after, this was something MORE. An entirely different force.

"You wanted a monster?" Sombra asked. He swung one wing around so the reflective feathers mirrored the targets image "well congratulations, you've got one!" he swept the wing back so they were eye to eye once more. If you want to be like me so badly, then you too can carry an inescapable guilt for the rest of your LIFE!"

He continued, while the target of his angry words just opened and shut his mouth like a fish, eyes on stalks.

"Think you can accept a burden like that? If I were you’d I’d throw yourself on their mercy, provided they have any left. Trust me, you WILL regret this.”

He stepped back, wings folding down partway to allow the guards to approach. Finally regaining control of his voice, the one in charge declared;

"Take him back to his cell and have a doctor check him over! Once the shocks worn off I want to talk to him!"

Sombra stayed where he was as this went on, staring at the chair the prisoner had occupied. His heart was hammering. He'd just showed the side of him the ponies had to have feared. But his fury over that idiots actions had driven him to the edge. The Empire didn’t deserve another like him...

"-u OK?" the words pierced the haze, and Sombra became aware the ringing in his ears was fading as the adrenaline levels dropped.

"W-what?" he stammered, shaking his head and twitching his ears "I didn’t hear you..."

"Are you OK?" the guard repeated. Sombra made to say he was fine, but he didn’t FEEL fine.

He swallowed the words down, having trouble focusing. Why was the room closing in around him?

He fought to take a deep breath, lungs locked up in tight restraints it felt like-

In the reflections of his semi-raised wings, he could see glimpses of the guards still surrounding him. They were sharing glances he couldn’t read into, but his panicked mind insisted were looks of appalled disgust at seeing Sombra's true nature.

A shred of common sense tried to point out he was being ridiculous, he had to stop letting his fears play smoke and mirrors with his head. But his own shock was setting in, and reason flew the coop.

“That was insane...” one guard remarked, and Sombra winced instinctively.

“Oops, that is-” realising this may have been a poor choice of words to a pony whose vocabulary was a thousand years behind, the guard tried to backtrack. “not INSANE insane, I mean-”

Sombra shook his head, feeling the pressure mounting "It's nothing- I need some air." he forced out, rallying his magic and ordering it to teleport him to the tower at the top of the palace. It'd be peaceful there...

"Hay-!" the guard yelped as Sombra suddenly vanished in another blast of teleport.

"Whoa, shiny dots!” he shook his head, eyes crossed, as the light faded "Hay, where’d he go?"

"I don’t know!" the senior guard barked "but we need to find him!"

"Why?” another guard pony asked “I mean, he essentially just did our job and scared that guy straight by the looks of it, what else needs to be done? Besides a statement of some kind."

"Forget the statement, that can wait! That pony was at the starter stages of shock himself! The inability to focus on what was being said to him, the rapid breathing...all that and a blow to the head! He's a risk to himself if he doesn’t get medical attention."

He dispatched the guards to check the palace and find the errant stallion...

Sombra felt the panic loosen as he appeared outside. He was alright-

Then he opened his eyes and realised he was hanging in the air WAY above the top of the palace. He'd overshot by a huge margin in his haste to leave!

He let out a loud yelp as his realisation cut the magic holding him aloft, and he plummeted towards the ground!

He tried to flap his wings but they wouldn’t move, it was as if they were frozen! His magic sputtered and died-

-Nonono…!!- Just as he was about to black out from panic, he hit something semi-solid and yet soft...

It knocked the air from his lungs, but at least it stopped his fall. He shut his eyes, not willing to open them just yet. That’d been too weird.

"S'okay hon, your not gonna fall! Can ya hear me in there?"

Sombra opened his eyes, seeing a pale green pegasus pony with yellow mane and tail peering at him. She had a broad accent, and a bow in her mane.

"Ah, there we go! You got a mighty wallop to the head there, it looks like! Don’t worry, that clouds perfectly safe..."

"H-how?" Sombra patted the cloud with a shaking hoof.

"Yer sporting a set of wings there hon. Pegasi and Alicorn can easily walk on clouds! What, ya never tried it?"

Sombra shook his head. “I only recently learnt how to fly properly!”

"What were you doing up there? You just plummeted straight outta the sky! You weren’t tryin' ta...ya know?" she made a gesture reminiscent of something hitting something else. "..pavement pizza?" she finished tactfully.

Sombra realised she thought he'd been trying to-

"No, nothing of that sort, I assure you! Why-" he shook his head vehemently, feeling himself flush.

"Sorry, it just looked a little worrying. You popped inta existence and went diving downwards! Also, you weren’t trying to flap ya wings.."

Sombra tried to flap them now, and found he still couldn’t move them. He found it hurt to TRY.

"They wouldn’t move when I fell, they still WON'T!" he told her.

She frowned, head titled to one side, then asked "can I check 'em?"

"Sure..." Sombra wasn’t sure what that’d tell her, but didn’t fidget as she came closer. He removed the armor panels from his wings and winced at how tense the flight appendages were. She checked them in a manner similar to how Primary Flight had that day, wincing as she did so.

"Whoo....yup, its wing-lock!" she said as she let his wing rest back on the cloud. As he shakily reattached the armor, he asked what she meant.

"Wing lock's a psychological condition, causes the wings ta just lock up and refuse to fly. Usually extreme stress is your culprit. Something happen?"

Sombra let out a loud sigh and buried his head on his hooves, his voice muffled but still audible as he began:

"Well now, to start with I’ve copied an immunity against the Crystal Hearts influence to an ENTIRE race, then a near-miss with a spell that would’ve blown up half the street if it wasn’t disposed of. Ah, and I think there’s a cheesed off guard out for my arrest. That about covers it."

"Whoa, rough day then huh?" she said at last. Sombra raised his head to look at her, managing a nod.

"My head hurts." he managed at last with a weary sigh.

"No surprise, ya got a nasty cut there...ah, here she is!"

"Heyyy, I’m like, totally here with the kit!" a soft lazy drawl reached Sombra's ears as another pony approached. She was a pinkish orange with pale green wavy mane. Flowers were braided into her hair.

"Flower Power!" the other pony sighed "I thought you’d gotten lost!"

"Sorry," The second mare smiled "I had to stop and help nudge a few clouds. Everything’s harmonious Thunder Fire!"

Thunder Fire met Sombra's eyes and shrugged as if to say "what can you do?"

"Ouch man, lets take a look here..." Flower Power perched on the cloud in front of Sombra, opening the kit.

She did a few checks, making sure he wasn’t concussed too badly. He was able to answer her questions well enough.

"And finally, lets patch this up!" she set a bandage over the cleaned cut, having used butterfly stitches to close it. "You’re like, super lucky, it looks worse than it is! Head wounds are TOTAL bleeders!"

"I see, thank you." Sombra said softly, and Flower Power beamed.

"No worries dude! Your voice is like, totally awesome by the way..."

Bemused, Sombra managed a smile.

"Ooh, is that a crown? It's like, so cool!" she'd spotted the darn thing. All the ruckus had allowed it to slip his mind. He happily removed it and let her examine it. She turned it over, cooing over the finery of its design and the engraving in the Umbrum language.

"Ooh, what’s it say? This writing is like, all curly whirly..."

"It's the Umbrum language," Sombra smiled at the two ponies. Talking about his beloved race made him feel a strong sense of happiness and pride, allowed him to forget his worry for a while "It translates to "our guiding shadow”."

"Neat!" Thunder Fire noted "it's very fancy! Did the Umbrum make it for you? I heard a few rumours..."

Sombra nodded "Yes, they gave it to me. Truthfully? I did not expect them to do it."

"Why? Because of the past?" Flower Power asked. Sombra felt himself flush self consciously, letting his gaze shift to the bright lights of the Empire below. At last, he nodded.

"I heard that, like, you told them everything! The whole truth..." Flower Power said.

“They deserved that much,” Sombra said heavily, resting his head on his forelegs. His ears twitched, and his expression was thoughtful “I could not stand to lie to them, not after everything they’d endured. They deserved to know the truth, and I was sick of running from it.”

The two pegasi watched him with expressions of kindness and sympathy. The way he talked made it clear the repentance Cadance spoke of was real.

"It's cool man, its all groovy.” Flower Power flew so she was facing him, meeting his gaze “the Princess said you totally saved her and the Prince. They said you were the hero of Canterlot, it sounded like, EPIC!"

"We all read the papers when they reached here!" Thunder Fire explained "it was a surprise, I’ll tell ya! The Princess made her statement, and the papers printed a transcript for those who didn’t attend. Within a DAY, the whole Empire knew!"

"Honesty is like, super important!" Flower Power smiled brightly "I think it was a cool thing to do, man! And your ponies obviously aren’t mad, otherwise they wouldn’t have asked you to lead them, you know?”

She tilted her head to one side, staring at the Alicorn Umbrum.

“Your aura went all sad back there..." Flower Power said, which made Sombra blink.

“My what?” he asked.

"Flower-! What did I tell you about that.." Thunder Fire sighed in amusement "not everypony needs to know how their colours are doing!"

"You have, like, an axe hovering over you. In YOUR aura colour. Are you still punishing yourself for something?"

"Shouldn’t I be?" Sombra asked, genuinely baffled "you know who I am."

"Eh, not really hon.." Thunder Fire shrugged. He looked at her in confusion.

"I seen that picture in the papers. That you saved the parade and fixed all the floats. None of us really know who YOU are. What you like, what you don’t etc. Everypony's curious, but you’re like a guarded secret. Everypony wonder what keeps you secluded. Are you afraid you'll get lynched or something?"

Sombra winced guiltily as that was quite close to the truth, even if he didn’t admit it.

"Well take it from me, you’ll be fine..." Thunder Fire smiled "I get ta hear all tha gossip from the guys and girls on this team, and yeah, some ponies still want more proof, but their just reluctant to admit things have changed so much. The whole parade thing and saving the Princess? Surprised 'em. The fact you went nuts partly by accident kinda threw them for a loop, too."

"You got like, major points for the Canterlot thing, man!" Flower Power flipped her fringe out of her eyes "they’re willing to let, like, bygones be bygones."

"They are?" Sombra murmured, looking at the Empire below, hope rising.

"If the Princess said it's cool, then they know it's cool. She’s like, totally groovy and her auras all hearts!"

Thunder Fire rolled her eyes, but smiled at her air-headed friend.

"So, shoo!" Flower waved a hoof at the imaginary sentence Sombra was still holding over himself.

It did work, in a funny way. Sombra felt lighter, he even laughed a little. Her simple way of pointing out what he'd been hiding from made him feel better.

"There you are!" a serious voice interrupted Flower Power before she could finish her latest trick, burping the Empire’s anthem. Thunder Fire despaired of her friend sometimes, but it seemed to make Sombra laugh.

They all looked up as the two pegasi guards approached. Sombra's stomach sank, were they ones sent by that pony that had wanted him arrested?

"We've been looking for you all over, sir" the first one said "our squad leader was concerned about your injuries."

"They are fine, it was only a cut to the head and a few bruises. Miss Flower Power here was kind enough to patch me up!" he indicated the mare, who bobbed her head and saluted.

"Its cool guys.." she said with a laid back smile "he'll be all good once he gets some rest! I’m the teams trained medic, so it's all groovy!"

"Thank you ma'am," the guards said "we can inform the doctor you’re all clear."

Sombra nodded, and ambled to his feet. He still expected to fall through the cloud, and tensed up fearfully for a second.

"Sorry," he coughed "I didn’t know I could balance on clouds.."

"Have wings, will cloudwalk," one guard nodded in understanding "you’ll get used to it."

--Not if I’m landed in prison I wont..-- Sombra thought. But he kept the thought unvoiced as he steadied himself.

"Try flying, you’ve been relaxing pretty good since I checked your wings." Thunder Fire said to Sombra, who nodded and gave the wings a few flexes to test them.

She briefly explained the wing lock to the guards as Sombra gave a few cautious flaps, and was able to hover. He was still a little wobbly, however...

"Totally cool!" Flower Power nodded at the wings "those are are far out, all the colours!"

"We live in the Empire to help with the weather, feel free to come find us!" Thunder Fire said to Sombra as he made to go.

He thanked them for their help with his injuries, and the guards moved to flank him as he flew off the cloud.

At the last second, Flower Power realised she was still holding his crown, and shot after the trio to give it back to Sombra.

The guards led Sombra back to the same room he had done his vanishing act from earlier.

As they walked in, Sombra recognised a familiar group of soldiers, especially the one that’d threatened to arrest him. His heart sank, and he prepared for trouble. He'd essentially attacked the group when you thought about it...

"Oh good, they found you. We’ve been searching the palace top to bottom." the guard who spoke was the one who'd been bellowing for Sombra's arrest.

"My teleport backfired, I was aiming for the tower, but I ended up in the sky. Two pegasi stopped me before I had a meeting with the ground below."

"Wing lock, sir. Prevented him from flying according to the mares at the scene." One of Sombra's guides explained.

A nod from the guard in charge of the squad as he turned back to Sombra, "Understood, I’ve read about wing lock. You’ll want to take it easy for a few days."

Sombra nodded, wishing he'd get to the point and tell him how much trouble he was in already!

"I'll be frank," the guard began, seeming not to notice Sombra's expression as the pony tensed up "I owe you an apology for earlier."

"Huh?" Sombra looked genuinely surprised, it wasn’t what he'd expected.

The guard chuckled at Sombra's stunned expression “You heard me, soldier. I got the full story when I got here. Had you delayed a moment longer, things could've ended badly for a LOT of ponies. I was told you disposed of the spell!”

"It detonated, yes. I was able to get it far from the city limits before it deployed. It packed quite a punch." Sombra recalled the heavy impact, his stomach and ribs still ached a little, not to mention his back.

"It's remarkable you got off with so few injuries. You got guts, and you got my respect. I acted in haste in declaring you a wanted target. My squad owes you their lives for getting that explosive spell to safety, so consider the matter dismissed! You have my sincere apologies Sire.”

“It's nothing to worry about, and don’t you mean 'Sir'?” Sombra frowned slightly.

The guard chuckled and nodded his head at the crown “I didn’t make a mistake, what do you think that thing on your head signifies?”

“Trouble..?” Sombra muttered, REALLY wishing he'd hidden the damn thing. This was what he'd tried to explain to Celestia earlier. It felt awkward trying to explain the story behind it.

“You’ll adjust.” The guard stated, as if he wasn’t buying Sombra's reluctance. Again Sombra picked up on the fact everypony ELSE seemed to think he could do it, so was it JUST his doubt? Was Flower Power right, was HE the only one hurting him?

"At any rate, you have our gratitude for averting that incident. Captain Shining Armor wished to speak with you in the throne room once we located you."

Sombra nodded, the two guards offered to escort him but he said he was fine, and walked by himself towards the throne room.

Shining and Cadance both looked up from their conversation with another guard when Sombra walked in.

"No kidding, that’s pretty swish armor.." Shining Armor mused aloud as Sombra came to a halt in the doorway. They dismissed the guard and indicated Sombra to walk over.

"What happened?" Shining Armor asked as Sombra came to a halt before them, politely bowing his head.

--What a pretty crown…-- Cadance thought, as she got a look at it when Sombra straightened up from the bow.

And so, Sombra began telling the story. They sat there, mouths open. At least it explained the bandages on his head...

"It exploded?! How did you manage to get away with just a cut?" Shining Armor said at last.

"A mix of the armor, and undoubtedly what Discord has referred to as me being "too dense to notice"." Sombra mused.

That made Shining Armor snigger, especially when delivered in Sombra's serious voice.

"He was prepared to blow up an entire street to get back at...us?" Cadance sighed heavily.

"I wouldn’t take their views as anything but farcical," Sombra piped up "they were mad enough to want a monster in charge again. I cannot take anything they say seriously."

"They were prepared to kill you too, evidently." Shining Armor said, thinking Sombra was still very critical of himself "From the accounts of the guards, he deliberately goaded you into going after that spell, no doubt hoping it'd wipe you off the map."

"When they couldn’t get what they wanted they just decided to go for broke and eliminate you too," Cadance shook her head "no regard for the sanctity of life at all."

"They wanted a monster, Princess, and they got one. But they didn’t need ME." Sombra closed his eyes, shaking his head, feeling like he was going to collapse. Now the incident was catching up to him, and he felt abruptly dizzy.

"You alright?" he heard Shining Armor ask.

"It's nothing. I’m just tired..." Sombra said weakly.

“Please look after yourself,” Cadance said, surprising him “you’ve had a crazy few days, its a lot to cope with.”

He elected to skip dinner and just go to bed. But found he couldn’t sleep properly.

It came to a peak in his dreams, when he found himself standing in the centre of a crowd. Seeing his reflection in a crystal building, he seen he was wearing the armor and crown. The crowd were closing in on him, anger on their faces.

"So, you’re putting yourself in control AGAIN?" one mare sneered.

"Yeah!" another cried "why should you have that honour?"

"I..." Sombra struggled to speak "I tried to dissuade them! I gave them every reason to choose another..."

"Liar!" a stallion yelled.

"Why should we trust you? Your already a freak and a monster!"

"I’m sorry-"

"You think that’s enough somehow?!" more cried.

Sombra began to panic, and tried to fly away, but ropes snapped out and wrapped around his wings, slamming him into the floor.

Hearing a faint hum, he looked up. There was now a shadowy axe hovering over his head. He gave a desperate cry, and tried to tear the ropes with his teeth, making a panicked snarling sound.

"Hayyy!" a pegasi burst through to the front. He recognised her as Flower Power.

"Hey, chillax man." she walked over and patted his mane gently, like she was comforting a scared foal "it's OK. Just some bad vibes!"

"But-" he began, and she shook her head.

"That axe is YOUR fear. All of this is. It's like, not true that they want to hurt you, remember?"

Sombra fought to think back, and recalled the prior days.

He recalled how the ponies had gathered around him after Discord had left. He recalled their expressions had been curious, not angry. But he'd been in too much of a blind panic to see it, and had fled before giving them the chance.

"I’ve....avoided them..." he whispered as realization sunk in. She nodded.

"How am I supposed to prove it to them, if they never see me?" he asked himself. Looking up, he seen the crowd had backed up, and they were smiling now.

"See?" Flower nodded "you’re just scaring yourself. You’re like, totally not a bad pony any more."

Sombra nodded, and with a loud cry, he tore free of the ropes, then turned on the axe as it came swooping towards him. He geared up his magic and fired at it-

He awoke with a jolt, heart hammering. With an uneasy groan, he got out of bed and opened the doors to the balcony. The pale moonlight fell upon the crown, sat innocently by his bedside. He lifted it up, bringing it with him as he sat outside.

--Why DO I keep running from this? AM I afraid of how everypony will react if I go out in public wearing it? Was that what that dream was about?--

"Probably..." he sighed.

"Probably what?" a voice spoke up. Sombra let out a loud yelp, the crown slipping from his hold and bouncing onto the floor.

He looked up, expecting to see Discord, but-

"Princess Luna?" he said in surprise.

"We did not mean to startle thee, we were just visiting our sister and seen thee talking to thyself! To an inanimate object, also?" she indicated the crown that had rolled into the space between them.

"Ah, yes..." Sombra sighed "I just had an odd dream about this thing!”

"So I sensed. Sister says you refuse to wear it outside the palace. Why would you? They gave you the job did they not? Your ponies.."

“Yes, even after I revealed the truth about my mistakes.”

"There! It shows how they care for thee, that they cared not a jot for the past! Thy reluctance is written all over thy face. I do not know what will make thee feel better, but I offer one bit of advice: do not torment thyself forever. We did that, created a nightmare that haunted us every night, to remind us. It got out of hoof, nearly caused a big incident. But Twilight Sparkle and the others saved us, showed us we HAVE changed, we don’t need to punish ourselves any further."

Sombra looked at the Empire below him "I didn’t understand how they could have such faith in me after everything. Maybe I was hoping they'd confirm what I was telling myself, that I’m nothing more than a monster. It was easier to hold onto that piece of my identity then try carve a new one."

"When in fact you did that as early as Canterlot," Luna seen him blink in surprise "a black hearted monster would’ve let our sister and the others perish and fall to that thing. Twilight Sparkle tells us you fought Scorpan's direct control to free them and protect her friends. That takes real determination and strength. Dost thou agree with us?"

A little nod.

"We can see a struggle similar to ours. Forget not, we too caused Equestria and our sister great distress. But they forgave us, and eventually grew accustomed to us. You have already made such steps. Talking, listening. Saving a parade and even fixing the floats. These actions have shown them you are not what they once thought you were. Yes, you will face doubt for some time to come, but it is up to you. If you do not believe thyself capable, they will not either."

Sombra picked up the crown and stared down at it, ruminating on how...RIGHT it had felt on his head earlier.

"It goes here!" Luna got fed up waiting for him to quit staring at it and grabbed the crown, plonking it on his head.

"Ow- hay!" he complained as she flicked his right ear so the crown would sit properly.

She studied how perfectly suited to Sombra the regalia was. The way it didn’t resemble the one he'd worn previously at all. This one was fitting to a changed pony. All the facts from her sister said he'd declined the right to rule the Umbrum from the start, instead letting the Umbrum decide whether they could place their trust in him once more. And they'd decided they wanted Sombra to be their ruler.

Only Sombra still seemed to be dragging his heels a bit.

"Why dost thou keep being so stubborn?" Luna asked.

"It...it feels somewhat hypocritical!" Sombra blurted at last.

“Explain!” Luna demanded.

“Think how it must appear! They will assume I couldn’t give up my lust for power. Lets face it, its easy to assume, given the evidence.”

"Ridiculous!" Luna shot back, rolling her eyes "Sister told us the paper's and citizen's opinions have not been unkind to thee. Thou wouldst know that if thou stopped hiding away in the palace and having to be dragged outside by thy friends!"

"I know, Princess, I know...” Sombra surprised her by admitting it, and he smiled weakly “that's what that dream was about, I’m sure of it. I’ve been oblivious to too much.”

“Tell us.” Luna said, less harshly. So he gave her the run-down of the dream, seeing how she nodded in understanding. When he finished, she actually smiled.

“It seems I need not berate thee afterall. You have come to the correct conclusion by your own method.”

“Funny, it took an aura-seeing pegasus to get the point across...”

“A what now?” Luna frowned in befuddlement, so he explained Flower Power to her.

“How unusual, but we applaud her efforts!” Luna decided.

Sombra's smile was a little less shaky this time.

"The way we see thine situation; thou were created to look after them. Its in thy nature, even when thine own magic and grief drove thee round the proverbial bend." Luna said "By all accounts in discords letters, thou hath been spending all thy time helping them. Their anger has been soothed, and they no longer suffer the crystal hearts influence because you gave them the immunity.”

“They were so happy when they realised it was over, they didn't have to be afraid.” Sombra flashed back to the happy occasion, how they'd cheered and celebrated.

“Indeed! The war would've started afresh had thou not convinced them. THAT'S why they wanted thee to accept the job. They too, were trapped in anger and madness until thou showed them the truth. Thou understandeth them at a level no other pony can emulate. Why settle for somepony else, when they can have the one who has every bit of knowledge to understand them?"

A sleepy Sombra nodded, it'd been an illuminating night for sure.

"Get some sleep," Luna suggested at last "thou hath need of a good nights rest."

Sombra nodded, yawning softly as she flew away, and he stumbled to bed.

Sombra joined the six colourful friends for breakfast the next morning.

"Are ya OK?" Applejack asked "Celestia was sayin' ya had a run in with some fruitcake!"

Sombra told them the short version, explaining the whole weird saga.

"Whoa..." Pinkie Pie said in the silence that followed "that’s nutso!"

"What a horrid bunch!" Rarity sniffed "trying to destroy all you’d done!"

"That’s what I said!" Discord appeared and tweaked Sombra's ears, before sitting himself down at the table beside his friends.

"Hello!" Fluttershy greeted him warmly, and was rewarded with a hug from the grinning Draconequus.

The morning was spent sorting out more of the fiddly details of Sombra's new home.

The day after that Cadance suggested they have a public meeting to announce the Umbrum's new home!

Sombra talked this over with Excel, who agreed to address the Empire to introduce their species alongside him.

Sombra hoped he'd be able to retrieve one more crystal from the wastes. His mother. The Umbrum were happy with the sanctity their lives now had, she could be awoken too...

He hoped she'd be proud when she seen the Umbrum free and happy.

"I wanna see outside again!" Firefly pouted, as she trailed after Sombra as he left to go back up to the palace."Excel said they have these things called cameras now. I could bring pictures back to everypony! Please?"

The big announcement at the stadium had been scheduled for the day after. Sombra thought about the time it started, and figured he’d have plenty of time to show Firefly the fun of the Empire before flying to the stadium. As per that dream, he realised he needed to go out a bit more, and not flee at the first sign of contact. Cadance had said they’d have everything set up by the time he got there...

"Alright!" He smiled at her "tomorrow morning?"

"Yes!" she did a happy dance that made Sombra chuckle!

Excel asked if she could borrow the crown, and Sombra happily lent it to her.

"Don’t be nervous, Infinitum, everything will be alright!" she assured him.

The next morning as promised, Sombra dressed in his armour, changed into his Umbrum form, and went to pick up Firefly. Cadance had given her an instant camera, and a fairly big stack of paper to put in it. Firefly had already taken some photos of the Princess and the guards as well.

When Sombra showed up she happily hugged the pony.

"Fini!" she said contentedly, and Sombra chuckled, asking was she ready to go?

She nodded, and they walked outside.

First stop was a food market, where Sombra bought her treats from the various stalls. The vendors cooed over the little filly, whose big wide eyes and beaming grin won them over.

"Yayyy!" Firefly cheered, then burped.

"Manners, little one.." Sombra chided, but he was reminded of Flower Power belching the anthem.

He looked up at the sky and smiled, wondering where the duo he'd met were that day?

"Where next, Fini?" Firefly asked.

"You'll see.." he teased, and set off with his little charge sat on his back once more.

"What’d she call 'im? Fini? Is that an Umbrum word?" a confused pony piped up. The crowd murmured, wondering what a Fini was?

"Its short for "Umbrum Ad Infinitum"!" a nearby guard overheard them and spoke up "it means "eternal crystal shadow" so far as I know. Seems that’s what they use to refer to an Alicorn from their legends."

Sombra showed the little filly the best bits of the Empire. The library, the jousting grounds, and many others. As he was walking towards a theatre, a group of ponies exited the door ahead. One recognised the armored pony and grinned, racing over.

"Hiii!" She called, and Sombra recognised her as Golden Glitter.

"Good morning," he smiled "how are you, miss?"

"Just peachy!" She grinned "rehearsals are done- ooh!" She'd spotted Firefly "who's this?"

"I'm Firefly!" the little Umbrum waved a short little hoof at this excitable pony.

"She is so cute!" Golden Glitter beamed and introduced herself and her friends to the two.

Sombra smiled proudly as Firefly asked could she take a photo?

"Sure!" Golden Glitter gestured them all to gather round and pose! Firefly giggled happily, these ponies were super nice!

As the two bid the group goodbye, Golden Glitter was pleased to see Sombra still wore the crystal heart necklace she'd given him that day at the parade.

"Everypony's gonna love these!” Firefly squeed "so much pretty!"

"Want to see the clouds?" Sombra asked on a whim, happy to see her so overjoyed. Soon, ALL the Umbrum would see the world the way Firefly did.

"Yeah!" she clapped her hooves excitedly.

Sombra summoned a little hammock she could be safely carried in, yet still hold the camera.

"Ready?" he queried, unfolding the wings and spreading them to their full size. Ponies nearby stopped to take in the crystal appendages, the way each feather seemed to reflect a dazzling array of light!

"Yeah!" she cheered, snuggled into the hammock "lets fly, Fini!"

"Dingus away!" recalling and repeating Discord's parting cry that last occasion, Sombra heard several of the surrounding crowd laugh as he launched up into the air!

"WHEEEEE!" Firefly screeched in delight as Sombra flew leisurely through the sky, showing her Empire from above. He hovered once or twice so she could take another picture, grinning up at him.

Up ahead he seen two familiar faces amongst the pegasi. Thunder Fire and Flower Power. They seen him hovering there and flew over.

"You're looking, like, much better!" Flower Power greeted Sombra "and your auras clearing up! The axe is gone, Groovy!"

"Wha's an aura?" Firefly asked. Flower beamed at her.

"An aura's like, your energy, your spirit. Yours is yellow, like sunshine! It's a happy aura.."

"Yay!" Firefly said, pleased to hear this.

Thunder Fire greeted Firefly, and on seeing the little wings, she asked how she was doing with flying?

"I mostly hover. I haven't practised much."

"Once the new home is finished, you’ll have a big sky to soar in!" Sombra promised her.

"Yay!" she grinned "I wanna fly like you do Fini, though I don’t think my wings will be as big.."

"If they were I wouldn’t be able to see you in them!" Sombra chuckled, making her giggle.

"You wanna join us?" Thunder Fire gestured to the race course "let's see how you fair, big wings!"

"Ooh, yeah!" Firefly tugged at Sombra's mane, eyes hopeful.

"OK, OK." Sombra made sure she was safe then flew over with the other two.

The rest of the pegasi did double takes. The two mares had shared their story about meeting Sombra the evening he'd come plummeting out of thin air, how he'd been having a rough day.

So to actually meet him was a surprise.

"We're gonna race too!" Firefly said "right?"

"You got it, lets see if that wingspan is any good!" Thunder Fire grinned at Sombra.

He was a bit shaky setting off, still reluctant at a base level. But, seeing the grins on the other pegasi reminded him of his race with Discord, and he felt a surge of competitive spirit!

He gave into the feeling of freedom like he had that day. It felt good!

Several jaws dropped as Sombra suddenly seemed to snap out of his funk and go into overdrive! Streamlining his wings so he could swerve nimbly in and out of the clouds, then spreading said wings wide to catch the air. Soon, he was matching the lead ponies, Firefly hollaring in delight the whole while!

"Well well!" Thunder Fire grinned as Sombra finished next to the best flyers, herself included "seems you’re a natural with those!"

Sombra looked flushed, but the way he was smiling showed he was happy.

"That was so cool!" Firefly grinned up at Sombra "can we fly some more?"

"What time-ack!" Sombra glanced at a nearby clock tower, and realised he was going to be late if he didn't move! He turned to the group and bowed apologetically.

"I'm very sorry, but I must take my leave. I'm expected at the stadium.."

"Aw, dang.." one pegasi sighed "that was a cool race!"

"Take care Sombra! See ya little Firefly!" Thunder Fire grinned.

"Keep your spirits bright!" Flower Power added as she waved at the departing duo.

"His aura's looking happy, cool," she said to herself "can't wait to tell my cousin when she comes to visit from Ponyville!"

Panicking as he flew, Sombra figured a teleport would close the remaining distance. He told Firefly to hold on tight-

While this was going on, the meeting with the empires citizens had begun already! Cadance had planned it so Excel could tell the story of why they’d asked Sombra to be their king. Luna had mentioned to Celestia that that one aspect still bothered Sombra, and Excel aimed to dispel any remaining rumours.

Excel held the crown cradled in one hoof as she stepped up to the mic.

"Good morning all of you. My name is Excel. I'd like to tell you our story..."

"A long time ago we were on the brink of starvation. Desperate for help, we finally left our secluded home and went to the Empire for help. But things went wrong. We did not know the crystal heart would hurt us. Its power was sent across the sky, and drove us crazy from the pain. And so, we attacked the Empire, believing they'd done it on purpose. They overwhelmed us and sealed us away beneath the palace. But one of us survived. She went to the wastes, where she hibernated in her crystal form. With the last of her power, she created one more of our kind. A child who, she prayed, would grow up to fulfil the ancient prophecy. To save us all. That child was Sombra.."

Curious murmurs raced around the crowd as Excel continued. Seated behind, at the back of the stage, Twilight Sparkle and friends watched curiously.

"But while she was able to grant him a minute immunity to the hearts power, it wasn’t enough. It got to him too, slowly over time. for years he lived close by, unaware of its threat to him. Eventually he reunited with the mother crystal, and his powers were awoken. But it was too much. the hearts corrosive influence meant he couldn’t handle finding out he wasn’t a normal pony, and the madness came full circle. You know the rest, as that was when he appeared to you."

She looked sad as she came to her next topic "we were so angry when we suddenly became aware again. We swarmed the palace, thinking we needed to fight for freedom. Then, he appeared. An Umbrum Ad Infinitum. I believe you call them Alicorn's in your terminology. To us, an Infinitum is a legend. Back at the start, our first ruler was an Infinitum, but they seemed to vanish, and soon we came to believe they were a myth. But he's real. He calmed our anger by giving us part of his power. He showed us the Crystal Ponies were not our enemy, that the whole war was a mistake. They didn’t know we were coming to them for aid, and we didn’t know the Heart's power is a sign of celebration, not an attack."

Wiping away tears, she smiled softly "the ancient prophecy stated the Infinitum was the one who would rule us. Our King. But he did not accept that. Rather, he gave the choice to us, and gave us his memories. Everything he did when he was here, he gave to us. We realised he'd suffered the same as us, and that he wanted us to know everything about him, no matter how painful to him. He could’ve hidden the truth, taken the role. But he let us decide. But that wasn’t all we seen. Infinitum's friend came to us, told us of our saviours actions in the city of Canterlot. How he wished only to say he was sorry to you all, rather then fix his injuries. We knew then, that we didn’t want anypony else. Infinitum understands our suffering as well as he knows his own. He understands US."

She held up the crown, and Cadance magnified the view of the stage so it was visible to the entire stadium.

"Together with Sombra's closest friend, we crafted a suit of armor, and THIS. It is a replica of the crown from our legends. We made sure it got to Infinitum, along with our reasons WHY we wanted him despite the fact he still seeks nothing but punishment for his past. We care about him, and we know he cares about us, we could never have asked anypony else. He IS us. But, it seems he feels unable to wear his crown. Princess Celestia told us her sister spoke with Sombra, where he told her he felt it hypocritical that he should bear the title after his past."

Curiosity swarmed the stadium, ponies admitting they were surprised at Sombra's open honesty. Excel echoed this as she spoke;

"He took the risk that telling us everything might turn us against him. But he did not wish to hide any more. Rather, to be honest and pray for a second chance if you or we could grant it. We believe he has paid the price, and we want him at our helm. We'd like him to accept this-" indicating the crown "once and for all. But we need your help."

She bowed her head, and asked the crowd one big, yet simple request.

The crowd agreed by way of a massive cheer, swayed by the Umbrum's obvious love for Sombra, and Sombra's open admission of his own guilt. He'd saved their Princess and Prince back in Canterlot, and begged them to convey his apology. He wanted a second chance more than he dared say, it seemed, he was just afraid to get his hopes up.

Had he gone the other way, ignored his past and demanded his race be set free, things would've been different. But he gone through a battle and nightmare of his own with Scorpan, and this had seemingly humbled the former haughty King.

"He will arrive shortly. I asked to speak with you by myself, as Infinitum will not raise the issue for himself. His focus has been on US, showing us the world is a good place, and sharing his new-found immunity so the crystal hearts power will no longer cause us suffering. I cannot begin to say how happy it makes me to see the outside world here today. It is more beautiful then I ever dared dream. The Princess has invited us all to next years crystal faire, and we cannot wait!" she smiled at Cadance, who beamed happily.

A ball of energy suddenly flared to life on stage, and soon it expanded, revealing the Umbrum Alicorn. Those watching the enhanced view via Cadance's spell seen a littler pony snuggled into a hammock draped around Sombra's neck. She was clutching a camera and staring with wide eyes at the crowd.

"What’s..?" Sombra stared at the massive crowds, then at Cadance and Excel "am I-?"

"You aren’t late, Infinitum," Excel smiled up at him "I asked I be given the chance to speak to the citizens before you arrived."

"And they have a request!" Cadance gestured to the crowd, who began cheering. Sombra figured out the words, and they made his heart pound;

They were saying "Take the crown".

He looked toe Excel, confused. His ears shivered in apprehension, yet also hope.

"I know you’ve held back from fully accepting it Infinitum, and we understand your fear. But times have changed, as too have YOU. We don’t see the darkness of the past in you any more. This isn’t the same pony taking the crown, its a new one. This side of you has been seen by many, your friend was adamant we get you to see it. You’ve hidden yourself away from them, and they want to let you know how they feel."

Sombra could still hear them chanting those words. They...understood? They didn’t think him a hypocrite for accepting the role?

"So please, will you...?"

Sombra looked at her, then out at the waving crowd. Closer ponies waved and some even SMILED at him. Seeing the range of emotions in his eyes as he listened to Excel, it confirmed her speech to them.

Sombra clearly had a brilliant mind and a good heart. He was just afraid to use them, for fear of repeating his past...

One of those who smiled was Golden Glitter! She grinned and managed to hollar loud enough to make him hear;

"Go on!"

"She’s right you know!" Sombra looked at Discord as he popped into existence.

"I know..." Sombra said, his voice barely audible he was so relieved.

He looked back to Excel, who was holding the pretty crown up to him.

"Go on 'Fini." Firefly said softly. He nodded at last, and Excel teared up in relief. Firefly buzzed free of her cocoon, leaving the camera in the pouch. She hefted the crown in her short little legs, and buzzed her wings so as to fly up and set the crown atop Sombra's head. She buzzed back to perch on Excel's back as the crowd cheered.

Sombra looked a little light headed, but he was able to join Excel as the two of them gave an elegant bow to the crowd. Sombra silently thanked them, knowing words would never do his gratitude justice.

"Now, we have more news regarding the future home of the Umbrum!" Cadance smiled.

From there she brought Twilight Sparkle and the others on stage, where, alongside a still reeling Sombra, they outlined the planned development of Sombra's new home.

"Constructions under way, and we’ve had a butt-load of offers fer help!" Applejack grinned up at Sombra, who smiled. This all felt like a dream.

"But we could always use more help, i-if it's OK." Fluttershy said, blinking up at the massive crowds.

"We have a lot of ground to cover, so please come by the palace if you can spare time or anything else!" Cadance finished "thank you all!"

"You look a little dumbfounded," Discord remarked to Sombra as he just STOOD there "you OK in there?"

"What? Yes, no. Probably..." Sombra trailed off "what, sorry?"

Discord snorted, shaking his head and tweaking Sombra's ears "that wasn’t even a complete sentence, silly Sombra! Bit of an overload is it?"

They were stood to one side, as Cadance finished the last of her announcements. While Sombra wasn’t paying attention, Discord moved one hand in a signal to a certain pony...

"You weren’t expecting a mini coronation huh?"

"W-well, no!" Sombra stammered, staring at his friend "I avoided it because I knew the past would end up interfering. I didn’t dare hope-"

"That they'd forgive you?" Discord was having to prompt Sombra to talk, the stallion was battling to sort everything out by the looks of it.

"Yes..." Sombra sighed at last, closing his eyes to block out the sensory overload of bright light and colour "I knew I had no right to ask them to, so I tried not to think too far. As it is, I don’t think I CAN ever repay them. The word "thankful" seems inadequate. But if there were a way by which I might-"

"Just look after your subjects, do what you’ve BEEN doing this whole time, silly Sombra. And don’t worry about telling them, that’s already taken care of."

"Huh?" Sombra opened his eyes, suddenly feeling like something was amiss. That, and- since when did his voice echo?!

"What are you-?" He cut off as he spotted a pink pony standing close by him and Discord, with a mic in her mouth. She grinned, eyebrows waggling as if to say "gotcha!".

"Oh..." Sombra switched linguistic tack to use a slightly rude Umbrum word, that made Excel burst out laughing. This made the crowd laugh too, as it was plainly obvious it was a curse word.

"If I didn’t take the option out of your hooves Sombra, you'd just cocoon yourself inside." Discord defeated Sombra's pre-emptive rant with a few well chosen words.

"I.." Sombra trailed off, and to discords surprise, he stopped looking so tense and instead laughed happily. "Haha...thank you, truly."

"That’s the spirit!" Discord clapped him on the back.

"I'm serious.." Sombra looked down at Pinkie Pie, who was still holding up the mic, as if expecting he had more to say. His gaze went distant as he flashed back to the past.

"I thought ambition and power would satisfy the darkness inside, I was so furious at realising my whole life had been a lie. I didn’t see that I had a new life just waiting with the Umbrum. Instead I let my anger get the better of me, and it was at that point my magic took over, accelerating the damage done by the heart. And I was all too happy to let it. In that state, I couldn’t stand to confront what id been told. I used it to hide away from what I refused to understand. I was still a selfish child. I thought changing to an adult would give me the strength needed to get what I wanted."

Everypony was caught up in his story, studying his thoughtful, yet sad expression. He raised his head, the sunlight glittering off his crown as he did.

"When I woke up, confronted by Scorpan, used and abused by a power hungry maniac, I realised how my tyranny must have seemed to YOU. So convinced what he was doing was for the greater good he ignored how much suffering he caused. Much as I had. I knew I couldn’t let him take my magic, but I had no choice." he shivered as he recalled those days, a flash of that bleakness showing in his expression "chained up in darkness, I was convinced my own death was the only way out. Even after The young Princess and her friends rescued me, I still tried to destroy myself. But, after a certain "someone" intervened and made me decide I didn’t want to die deep down, I started hoping I could find a life out here."

Some of the crowd looked saddened, a couple were teary eyed. It was evident from the expressions on Sombra's face as he spoke that recalling all this was hard for him. That he'd been so desperate to end his own existence hinted at how bad Scorpan's torture had been.

"You have heard of the battle of Canterlot. I was finally able to do something worthwhile that day. That was when I realised I wanted to get a message to all of you, to express how sorry I was, that I could understand why you were afraid of me. I never expected to see the Empire again, heck, I never expected to wake up from stasis after the battle.

To be alive and out of danger was a shock, I didn’t know how to cope with it. But when I was told the Umbrum were waking, I realised I had to come back to the Empire. To be reunited with them again, with my mind finally free, was the most wonderful occasion. I was no longer alone, I had a big family to look after. So many just like me."

Firefly couldn’t sit still and flew over, declaring "Fini!" and hugging him. He held her in the crook of one foreleg, smiling down at her.

"Today I took this little scamp out for a tour of the Empire so she could take photos. And I finally realised I’d been running away every time anypony tried to approach me before. I apologise for that. I was so fixated on keeping an eye out for the proverbial flaming torches and pitchforks I couldn’t see the efforts you were making going on right under my muzzle. It's all too easy for me to become so caught up in my own world I threaten to become absorbed by it. A lesson one individual has been trying to hammer home since day one."

Behind his back, Discord made a giant neon finger appear, aiming at himself and grinning. Firefly giggled as she peered at him over Sombra's shoulder.

"But that’s what a friend is for, that and making faces behind my back- YES, I CAN see you Discord." Sombra said, deadpan. Discord realised the polished walls of the stadium were acting like mirrors and hid all evidence, whistling. Sombra laughed, the sound rich and clear over the mic. It was genuine, he sounded happy.

The crowd had heard all the evidence it needed, and as one they stood up, cheering to the rafters. Sombra blinked, then smiled. Cadance's spell was still in effect, meaning the crowd had been able to see his expressions the whole time. The smile lit up his normally serious face. He no longer looked threatening and scary...

"I've made one other decision. As soon as is possible, I intend to move to the new building site to help with the construction."

"You’re gonna what, sugarcube?" Applejack did a double take.

"I'm going to stay out there for a period of time. I feel I can do more out there using my raw magic than I can here, at this point in time. I will make sure the Umbrum have a suitable caretaker before I go."

Excel looked relieved to hear that, but she silently cheered his decision. The Infinitum's magic was the strongest of all of theirs, and he'd be able to do a world of good out there. They’d all miss him, but they’d see him again soon.

"Whatever we can do ta help, just say!" Applejack nodded.

"Yup!" Pinkie Pie grinned.

"Who’s a responsible little ruler?" Discord teased, tweaking Sombra's ears. Sombra laughed, giving the Draconequus a mock-glare...

"Oh!" he recalled the other thing that had been on his mind.

"There's something I’d like to try. A fireworks spell. I got the idea after witnessing the glitter fireworks at the parade." He looked to Cadance, who nodded.

"Ooh, what is?!" Pinkie Pie squeaked, reminding him she'd been holding that mic all this time...

"Ah, I should have taken that thing from you. My apologies, miss Pie."

"Its Pinkie Pie to my friends, and no worries, I used my hair!" he did a double take when he realised she had, in fact, used her bouncy mane to hold it. This brought a fresh urge to laugh, which he had to quash as he handed Firefly over to Excel.

Checking to make sure the sky above was clear, he flew up, wings outstretched. A shimmering purple magic swirled round him like a globe, then spun outwards like a fireworks display.

But these ones didn’t just explode into showers of sparks. Rather, they formed shapes of delicate crystal in the sky. Of the crystal palace, and on either side, its two rulers. The final one formed the shape of a crystal heart which, in a mimicry of its true self, pulsed and sent a wave of light across the sky.

The air filled with glittery sparks, and Sombra flew up higher to unleash a final volley that detonated in shooting stars of various colours. those below recognised their mane and coats colours, realising the display was in part a thank you for THEM.

"Best display EVER!" Pinkie Pie screeched, grinning ear to ear.

Discord grinned proudly as he watched the pony darting through the sky, the colours reflecting in his crystal wings as he angled down towards them.

Soon as Sombra landed he was surrounded by a rush of ponies in a massive hug. All the while this was going on, the crowds of ponies were applauding the display.

"Good job." was all Discord needed to say. Sombra smiled, and accepted it with a nod.

"You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" Pinkie Pie hollared.

"Why not?" Cadance laughed, making Pinkie Pie grin widely.

Sure enough, she DID throw a party a scant few hours later. Outside the palace, she set up rows and rows of tables piled high with food, and it became an open invitation for as many ponies as could fit. Sombra naturally was the party’s guest of honour, alongside Excel and Firefly!

Sombra was genuinely touched when several local business came up to him, to offer lumber, glass, crystal and many other things to help build the new home for the Umbrum. Some came up just to say hello, and personally tell him they’d forgiven him. And that they hoped he'd finally live the life he'd dreamed of with his ponies.

"Of course, soon as it's built, we're gonna swing by on a diplomatic visit~" Shining Armor said later on, after finally getting Sombra's attention from all the curious crowds. The stallion was really making up for his obliviousness in talking to the crystal ponies.

"I look forward to it," Sombra smiled "I cannot wait until their home is finished."

"It's YOUR home too don’t forget," Shining added "are you still planning to stay out there to work?"

"I'd feel like I’m doing something good for them if I could get involved in building their home. I'm sure my magic could help in some way, however small."

"I can arrange transport on the next materials train, if that suits you?”

"That's more than ideal, thank you. There is just one last thing I wish to do before I leave, however..."

Three days later Sombra returned to where he'd last seen the mother crystal. It waited, still glowing softly.

He closed his eyes, aware of Shining Armor and a trio of guards a short distance behind him.

Glowing power began to swirl up around him, gathering in mass until Sombra's form was almost obscured by it. Then it dispersed from him and wrapped itself around the red crystal.

Sombra concentrated on extracting the one hidden inside..

As the spectators watched, the crystal shone and began to alter its shape, becoming pony-shaped.

There was a final flash and a tall, red-shaded unicorn appeared. She was a little shorter then Sombra, with a reddish-orange body and red mane.

She opened her eyes, and when she seen Sombra, her SON, she hugged him tightly, tears falling down her cheeks.

Sombra hugged her back, before wrapping a spare cloak around her.

"Are they?" she asked.

He nodded "they’re awake, and they need you."

She noticed something felt different, there was a NEW power inside.

"It's immunity, the heart won't hurt us any more." Sombra told her proudly. She hugged him again.

"I'm so proud of you my child." she whispered, and Sombra felt happier than he could say to hear that.

"The heart itself granted it to me. It was willing to give us what we needed the most."

"I knew you could do it child!" she said, taking in how much better he looked since she'd seen him last. The ghosts no longer haunted him as they had before.

Sombra approached the guards and Shining Armor, who all bowed to this Umbrum pony.

"Pleasure to meet you," Shining Armor introduced himself and his guards "lets get you back to the Empire ma'am. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Umbra." she smiled.

They brought her back to the palace, where she met Cadance, and the others Sombra had befriended. She startled Discord by giving HIM a hug.

"Thank you looking after my son." she said gratefully.

Discord smiled, and informed her that her son was one of the few he held close, alongside Fluttershy!

"Who's she again?" Rainbow Dash whispered as this was going on.

"She's his mother," Twilight Sparkle whispered "Cadance mentioned that first meeting when Sombra arrived here."

"I can see tha resemblance. Her mane kinda looks like his, also the eyes!" Applejack affirmed.

Umbra was given a very kind greeting by the six ponies, Cadance and even Celestia.

Discord overheard the guards preparing for a shift change and recalled a bet he'd made with Sombra...

And so, as the big group wandered down the hall towards the dining hall. Discord ran down the guards hall, which was to their left, dressed in a banana suit, loudly proclaiming he was the king of the penguins! Much to the bewilderment of the guards walking by.

Then he vanished into the far wall.

Everypony stood there, utterly confused, Except one.

Sombra let out an unconstrained guffaw, and couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

"What’s-? huh?" Rainbow Dash looked at Sombra, who was laughing so hard he was on the verge of getting the hiccups.

"Okay, what do you know about this?" Pinkie Pie sidled up to Sombra "c'mon, tell Pinkie Pie!"

Sombra at last calmed down, and tried to explain himself;

"It was...a bet," Sombra wiped his eyes, still sniggering "he made a bet I could not beat him in a flying race. But I did, and the stipulation was the loser had to do THAT."

Celestia giggled, shaking her head "only Discord.." she said in amusement. Everypony else was giggling now too, and Umbra seen the way her son was opening up, he'd changed a lot since she'd seen him last. That smile was one she sensed had long been hidden from him.

Discord reappeared, minus the suit, and held up a hand for Sombra to high-five.

"Honestly!" Rarity sighed, but she was smiling nonetheless.

After a good meal, Umbra went with her son to be reunited with the Umbrum. Sombra explained he intended to go be a part of the task force building the new home. So he needed her to look after the Umbrum alongside Cadance and Shining Armor.

"There is much you can teach them, and Princess Twilight Sparkle will voraciously devour any new information you give her!" he added, knowing Twilight Sparkle would be over the moon to get her hooves on new details!

Sombra spent a further few days with his mother, showing her the Empire, and telling her everything that had happened. She was so proud to hear him speak of his time with the crystal ponies.

"I'm just happy to see you smile, child." she told him, as they walked around the gardens.

"I was too frightened of losing everything to let anything get close!" Sombra sighed "I was a fool."

"You were a child when this began, you coped as best you could. I wish I could’ve helped you more. You were our last hope but it was such a burden to bear.."

"I've been given another chance to decide what kind of pony I want to be. I'm not going to waste it this time..." Sombra smiled "so don’t worry."

"That’s my Sombra!" she smiled proudly.

"I have to ask, did you pick that name?" Sombra asked. She nodded.

"I did my best to implant it in your memory. It is a name from our history, a proud name. And you’ve grown to fit it..."

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long, i havent been that well lately, and there was too much going for for me to focus properly.

Strange Therapy

Sombra was informed the next train out to the construction site was leaving in three days, thus he did as much as he could to help the Umbrum in his absence. They had his mother to look after them, and Cadance and Shining as well, so he knew they'd be in good hooves.

Firefly begged him to send pictures, and write them lots of letters. Due to the building sites remote nature, Celestia taught Sombra the spell to send her a scroll, so she'd be there if he needed her help.

He also finally returned the oath band necklace to her, where she returned it to its place around her neck.

"You've done so much for me, Princess.." he told her honestly "you kept your promise and gave me peace and safety, as well as helping me find my home. You've more than kept your promise!"

The band gleamed, signalling a promise fulfilled.

Celestia was happy to hear this, happier still to see how much better Sombra was faring, after everything he'd been through.

"Even if the oath has been fulfilled, I'm always here Sombra."

He nodded, and she announced she had something to give him, from her and Luna.

It was a gorgeous blanket, stitched with the monikers of the sun and moon in gold, silver and many other colours.

"I look forward to seeing your new kingdom." the sun Princess smiled.

"Me too.." Sombra said with a genuinely happy smile.

It was really coming true, his prophecy....

The evening before he was due to leave, as he sat in his room packing his case, there was a knock at his door. He opened it and seen a certain six ponies, Draconequus, Cadance and Shining.

"The gangs all here!" Discord cheered.

Bemused, Sombra stepped back to let the gaggle of ponies in.

"We thought we'd give ya some last minute thingies!" Applejack nodded to the various boxes Twilight Sparkle was levitating in after her.

"This reminds me of a, what's the term, "birthday"?" Sombra racked his brains for a memory of his childhood.

"Partyy!" Pinkie had somehow stuck streamers and banners up inside of a split second, much to Sombra's surprise.

"Catch!" Rainbow Dash threw a box to the Umbrum, who caught it just in time!

When he opened it, he seen a set of goggles. They'd been made with tinted lenses and silver edging. Umbrum symbols were carved around the edges. Sombra read it as his name and title.

"So you can see if it starts getting REALLY snowy!" Rainbow Dash said proudly "I asked your mom about how to spell Umbrum wordlets. They're confusing, but awesome!"

"They're perfect!" Sombra smiled, already slipping them on. They fitted perfectly, keeping his mane from his eyes.

"Ooh!" Pinkie Pie bounded up as he hung them around his neck "me next!"

She'd given him an unusual looking box, decorated to look like crystal, with a simplified outline of his crown etched into it. He opened it, and seen it was stocked with many different ingredients and papers.

"This way, you'll know how to bake cake while you’re out there. Cake's important!" Pinkie Pie said seriously. Sombra chuckled, returning the hug when she zoomed over to glomp him. He was getting more and more comfortable with physical contact, even returning it!

"I wouldn't want to be without cake!" he chuckled softly. This made for a very happy Pinkie!

"Just a little something, darling!" Rarity beamed as she gave him a box. Sombra opened it, seeing it was a plush scarf, designed in a similar style to the cloak Haydon had given him.

"It's perfect, you made it so intricate!" Sombra really was amazed at her work.

Applejack had made some hard-wearing boots out of a tough type of material, with Rarity's help.

"Yer gonna wanna keep yer hoofs cosy too if you’re working all day!" she added.

From Twilight Sparkle came some books on not only the local area his kingdom was being built on, but starter guides to political law! Sombra thanked her profusely, he needed as much information on ruling RIGHT this time around as he could GET!

Fluttershy gave him some animal call whistles she'd made, saying they'd be great with getting to know the local wildlife! Alongside was a heavy bound notebook and a quill pen made from a feather a hawk had kindly donated to her. She gave a happy "yay!" when Sombra thanked her!

Cadance and Shining Armor showed him a signed document, in which they offered to provide food and supplies for the fledgling kingdom for as long as it needed it!

Sombra couldn't thank them enough, having the Empire in support of him was more than he'd ever expected!

All he had to do was sign it himself, and the promise was sealed.

"Wow, your handwriting is swirly..." Shining Armor said, as he seen Sombra's elegant signature.

"There, now you just call in when you need a hoof, and we'll get right on it!" Cadance promised.

"This is-" he didn’t know how to say it, seeing their beaming grins in front of him.

"All of it, it's wonderful!" Sombra finished at last.

"One last thing! I got the idea from that little camera-toting cutie pie, Firefly!!" Discord snapped his fingers and a photo album fell from the air into his hands. He gave this to Sombra who opened it. And laughed.

The very first picture was of everypony in front of him now, plus Firefly, Excel and his mother, all pulling the doofiest faces imaginable. Discord was wearing the banana suit again!

Sombra flipped through the pages, laughing and smiling as he seen all the photos. Pictures of Canterlot, of the Crystal Empire, and even some from the town of Ponyville that must’ve come from the six's personal collections. There were photos from the parade as well. He'd had a wonderful time that day...

"So you won't forget us while your out there!" Discord poked Sombra's head with a grin.

"As if I'd ever forget!" Sombra smiled back at him "this is perfect!"

Sombra turned the final page, and seen it was filled with messages. Not just from his new friends, there were some from the royal guard too, as well as Flower Power and Thunder Fire!

"I asked around, and ponies that'd met you soon came forward!" Discord added. One was from Golden Glitter and Speed Freak, wishing him the best and to keep smiling!

Sombra smiled VERY happily, overwhelmed by so many gifts!

"That’s not all!" Twilight added "we've been inundated with offers for supplies and whatnot, so you'll have no shortage of deliveries in the comings months!"

They proceeded to have a celebratory mini party in Sombra's room, with a shed-load of cakes!

By the time he went to bed, Sombra was full of so much sugar, he thought it'd be a miracle if he slept at all!

The next morning his mother, Umbra, came to see him. She'd had a saddlebag made specially for him. It was a deep red fabric, with golden edging. It was big, with lots of room in the bags to hold everything he'd need!

She also had one more thing to impart:

"The Princesses told me you seem quite fond of your secondary form," She smiled, looking at the pony in front of her, and nodding at the still-crystal wings "if you want, I can fix that for you, child."

Setting the final piece of his armor on his wings, Sombra blinked;

"Make them look like feathers you mean?" he asked. His curiosity was peaked, wondering HOW it would work?

His mother smiled, seeing how fast her son's mind was racing. He was an intelligent stallion, with a gift for dark magic as well as Umbrum magic!

Close your eyes." she smiled, touching her horn to his-

Sombra felt a brief stabbing pain and let out a startled yelp. But it peaked and rapidly faded, leaving him merely a little disorientated.

He opened his eyes, seeing her stepping back and smiling. He fanned his wings out, smiling as he seen they now resembled feathery ones in this form. There was a subtle shading of red on the outer edges of the bigger feathers.

"It's perfect.." he smiled and looked at his mother "About the crystal form-"

"I understand it's hard for you," she chuckled "you've lived as a normal pony for so long! Take your time my dear. No matter what form you take, you're our Infinitum."

Sombra felt a guilty twinge as he recalled his attempts to get rid of the wings back at the start. She caught his uneasy glance and put a hoof under his chin so he would look up at her.

"It's alright," she stressed as she set her hoof down "your friend Discord told me everything about what you went through. You were afraid of how they'd regard you bearing an Alicorn's gift. But you have done so much, even under the fear forced upon you."

"I can't hide anything from him, can I?" Sombra laughed "I swear he reads me as easily as a book! A silly book. With pictures. And curse words-"

Umbra chuckled "he certainly seems to know far more than he lets on. How did you come to meet him?"

"It was Miss Fluttershy. Discord has been her friend for some time, and she helped him see what friendship could do. She gave him a chance when everypony else wouldn't, when they couldn't see past the trouble he'd caused a long time ago."

"Sealed in stone." his mother mused, and Sombra nodded.

"He in stone, I in shadows and ice. He could understand far quicker how strange the world felt when I seen it again."

Umbra nodded, and seen her son's expression shift from sadness to amusement.

"He certainly had unorthodox methods. I was so tightly wound I wouldn't even trust anypony, couldn't stand the slightest physical contact. I hated for anypony to touch me. I was being violently ill from both my memories and my paranoia. The little Princess and her friends tried to convince me otherwise, but I wouldn’t, nay, COULDN'T trust it. To me, I could only only see one way out. When they no longer needed me, I would either be locked up or sentenced to death."

Umbra felt tears well up, again wishing she could've been there to help her wayward son.

"They insisted they weren't going to hurt me, and that was the point Discord tried to make. But I was set against putting faith in anything or ANYPONY again. But Discord, he didn't give me a choice," he laughed at the memory "and you know what? It worked. By taking the choice out of my control, I had no option but to face up to what was being shown to me. That's the reason being tackle-hugged by miss Pinkie Pie doesn't scare the hay outta me now."

He was hugged seconds later by his mother, who didn’t say a word, just clutched him tightly.

"When I thought that I'd never see you again, I felt heartbroken," she whispered "I prayed somepony would help you, save you from that fate. You deserve happiness my child, everypony does! But please believe in yourself. What you've done this time around is amazing. You saved us all, calmed our anger. I know you worry none of this is your own doing, that it is merely the prophecy granting you this knowledge." she let him go, wiping her eyes as she set her hooves either side of his face, her deep red eyes matching his in shade.

"The prophecy granted you the POWER of the Infinitum. What you learnt, what you DID, that was all your own work, child. A prophecy can only guide you. The choices you made, the power you created, the gifts you gave all of US? All your doing, my dear. So don't feel like you have nothing to be proud of. You will become the greatest ruler in our history, I believe it."

Sombra couldn’t find a word to say, so he settled for returning her hug from earlier. She smiled proudly. Despite the fierce façade, he had a kindness that couldn't be suppressed.

Sombra let her go, wiping one hoof over his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Now, let's send you on your journey my dear." She set the saddlebags atop his back, and he levitated the massive case packed with an assortment of things, including everypony's gifts from the night before.

She accompanied him to say farewell to the Umbrum for the final time!

Firefly cried a bit, but Sombra promised he'd send letters and pictures.

"Good luck Infinitum, our hearts will be with you!" Excel said as she hugged him goodbye, along with many others!

Umbra walked him to the train station, where a train was being loaded with supplies, along with a couple of cars for the passengers to ride comfortably in! Alongside Sombra there were many labourers, both Empire natives and others from across the land, and even a squad of guards that were being posted there!

They all stared in curiosity as the armored Umbrum pony joined them.

Sombra's friends waved goodbye as the train pulled away, and Sombra watched them until they vanished into the distance, then settled himself atop the coach seat.

It was going to take a couple of hours to get there, so he figured he'd get some studying in! He pulled out Twilight's book on law, and began making idle notes, thinking over how he'd react to the case scenarios in the book!

Some time later he finally lifted his head from his book, realising it felt like half his muscles had cramped up. He stood up on the seat, stretching his forelegs out ahead of him, hearing his back click as he straightened up. Next were the wings.

As promised, Primary Flight had given him a set of exercises and advice for if his wings hurt. He stretched the massive feathery appendages to full length, giving them a slow, leisurely flap.

Next was to check them in what was technically his true form. A quick tweak of his magic and the illusion was wiped away, returning him to his crystal version. The bright sunlight streaming in the trains windows as it rattled along glanced off the crystallized pony, sending colour sparkling over the walls of the train.

It was this that drew the cars other occupants, a pair of guards and some construction workers, to look over at him. Not all of the empire had seen Sombra's crystal form, especially not this close!

"Whoa, that is somethin' else" A stallion raised his eyebrows "I'd heard rumours it looked pretty slick, but this is like a living statue."

They watched in curiosity as Sombra seemed to be checking the wings to make sure they were working.

"Is he having some trouble with 'em?" a Crystal pegasi asked "those are physical therapy exercises."

"Beats me, they look OK. Although, I heard rumours he tied them down for a long time, and it caused some minor pains."

"Why'd he do that?" another pegasi asked "I couldn’t imagine not wanting to fly, it's instinctive for a pegasi!"

"He's not a pegasi," a unicorn stallion piped up "he started as a unicorn, before the whole prophecy thing kicked off. Of course he's not used to wings! As for why he tied them up, as far as I know the whole shebang with that gargoyle guy nearly drove him to self-destruction. Add in suddenly-Alicorn! And its no wonder he's having issues. It's a lot to take in, I don't think I'd be entirely sure of myself if I went through all THAT!"

"I seen him out flying in the evening once, barrelling along at a hundred miles an hour!" A guard spoke up, sitting on the seat and leaning over the back of it to join in "I'm not kidding, he's pretty speedy! Not sure why he was in such a hurry?"

"Exploding spell." A voice added.

"Ah, gotcha." the guard nodded, then did a double take as he recognised the voice. He turned round in time to see Sombra vanish through the connecting door to the food car.

"How'd he do that-?" the guard squeaked "he was just over there a second ago!"

"We were too busy gossiping?" a mare piped up, snickering "he was probably standing there the whole time. He looked pretty amused."

"Oops." the group all looked guilty, and tried to look nonchalant as Sombra returned from his foray with a bottle of water. Seeing them all studiously pretending to study the ceiling or floor, one even pretending to stroke an imaginary beard, he couldn’t suppress a laugh.

They blinked, caught off guard by the deep, hearty laugh, surprised at his reaction. They had hoped they'd fooled him, so he wouldn’t be angry. They hadn't expected him to LAUGH.

"I'm not sure what it is that you’re doing, but it looks most entertaining!" Sombra remarked as he made his way back to his seat.

"Told you he wouldn't buy it-" the first mare hissed to the guys. Sombra gave another laugh, and curled up atop the seating, tucking his tail around him.

"Forgive my intrusion earlier, I could not help but be curious what you were discussing. I crept up as I was heading for the other car, and couldn't help overhear your curiosity about the night-flight!"

They realised he'd been as curious about what THEY were doing as they'd been about HIM, and felt a mix of silly and amused. One stallion couldn't flatten a laugh, and it escaped. Soon it spread, and they were all laughing at how silly they'd looked. So they got up and crowded around where Sombra was sat. He'd raised the wings as he settled down, keeping them up, which let the sun catch them again.

"That's so gorgeous," one mare sighed dreamily "man I wish I had wings like that!"

"Are they bothering you?" another that Sombra had overheard discussing his wings asked curiously "those exercises.."

"A therapist named Primary Flight suggested them, since the wings were bandaged or tied down for a fair amount of time. Although the reason I do them NOW, is due to a case of wing-lock some days prior."

Everypony with wings in the group winced collectively. Those that hadn't suffered it had studied it, and knew it was terrifying.

"Were you flying when it happened?"

Sombra smiled sadly "It was a malfunctioning teleport. I'd attempted to aim for the tower but due to, let's just say panic, I overestimated and overshot the target by quite some distance! I appeared higher up, and nowhere near the tower. When I realised what had happened, I panicked and my magic short circuited, dropping me out of the sky." he shivered in remembrance of that short but terrifying plummet.

"Sweet Celestia..." one pony gulped.

"It was the intervention of two weather pegasi that saved me from becoming, how did she describe it? "Pavement pizza"?" Sombra thought back to the memory, "One managed to kick a cloud into the path of my plummet, a remarkably soft landing despite the speed I was going at!"

"Wow, that was lucky!" one of the crowd sighed in relief.

"I know!" Sombra agreed "it took a while before I could move them again, they ached for a few days after, every time I tried to fly. It is easier to control my flight now, compared to the start."

He smiled a second later "Undoubtedly, it will amuse you to hear that I managed to land on my face whilst out flying with Discord. He laughed his ass off, once it was revealed I wasn’t hurt."

Snickering rippled through the crowd as they imagined the mighty stallion doing a "face-plant" landing. Every pegasi had done this at least once, after all!

"It helped, albeit in a very peculiar way, that my first flight was in the fight against that crazed gargoyle. I had no choice but to learn to use them and FAST. I guess I got the basics in a very strange lesson..."

"The battle of Canterlot." somepony murmured, and looks of curiosity spread through the ranks of the ponies. Many had come to the Empire to join the workforce, and hadn’t heard the full story. One asked if they could hear the tale?

Sombra nodded, and the audience sat quietly, listening intently as Sombra described how Scorpan had force-fed him a massive amount of power to forcefully trigger the Infinitum form.

"Much like the initial surge that sent me round the bend all that time ago, it wasn’t meant to be triggered so strongly. My head felt like it was going to explode that whole time, until the control collar broke."

He shuddered slightly, some of the colour draining from his face as he flashed back to it "I was literally faced with Celestia and all the others entrapped in Scorpan's spells, with his orders to destroy them battering at my mind. It was a miracle I was able to gain any hoofhold in my own will at all, with the sheer force of that collar crushing my mind."

"Oh, that sounds so nastyyy.." One pony shuddered. Others nodded.

"Scorpan had long since lost his mind. I know how that feels, it isn't pretty. You become fixated on what you perceive can save you, even if its likely to bring nothing but doom."

At least half the crowd wanted to hug or console him right then, he looked so downcast. But he shook his head, dispelling the memories and carrying on with the tale, the darkness fading from his expression.

He described how he'd gone on to kick Scorpan's ass, although the battle had left him broken beyond repair, forcing him to retreat into stasis.

"Did you think you'd wake up?" somepony asked at the end, looking sad. Sombra shook his head.

"No, I did not. In all honesty, I had accepted that was the end. I'd done what was needed, that crazed gargoyle was sealed in crystal and would soon reside in Tartarus. I couldn't see there was reason for me to exist once the task Celestia had those ponies rescue me for was over."

He stared into space, recalling Shining Armor and Cadance "even more so since I'd had opportunity to speak with the Empire's guardians. That was the last thing I wished for, to speak with them. It had seemed unlikely it would ever come true, or that I'd have the guts to apologise to their faces. So when they showed up, I tried my best to keep enough magic in reserve to speak to them properly."

Those that'd heard the Princesses speech knew this; how he'd had a window to try and repair himself but instead chose to say his piece to the Prince and Princess, using the dregs of power he had left to create the key he'd given Shining Armor, relinquishing any chance of saving himself there and then!

"Uhm, your highness?" a nervous voice cut through the curious crowd, and they turned, seeing a staff pony trying to get Sombra's attention.

"There's no need for formalities. What can I help you with?" Sombra said, wondering what the message was.

"Uh, there's a note I was given by the Princess-"

"Which one?" somepony pondered.

"Princess Twilight!" the staff pony coughed, "she said to ensure I gave you this halfway through the journey." He gestured to a big box he was floating behind him. The crowd shuffled back so the box could be set in front of the pony.

"Hm?" Seeing the six ponies cutie marks doodled on the box, he opened it. The first thing it did was send liberal amounts of confetti flying around the train car.

"I’m going to guess miss Pinkie Pie packed this." Sombra said, dead-pan. Then sneezed.

"What’s in it?" a curious earth pony asked. Sombra brushed the last of the confetti away and peered inside. What he saw made him laugh.

"She packed cakes!" he laughed, lifting first one layer, then two, "surely she does not intend me to eat all this myself!"

Sure enough, there was a note between the layers, and Sombra chuckled as he read it:

"I didn't know how much cake you'd like, or what kind, you forgot to tell me! So I packed everything I've ever offered you! If you cant eat them all, I'm sure you'll find others that will help!"

Silence reigned as they all took in the cake-crate.

"Help yourselves!" Sombra said in amusement to the gawping crowd "she's right, I can't eat this lot alone, and there is a lot here."

It was snowing heavily even this distance from the Empire, but Celestia had assured him it'd calm soon and spring would come!

In preparation, he wrapped his cloak and scarf tightly around him, and summoned the armor for presentations sake. This, combined with the fluffy white cloak made for quite a regal sight!

Last but not least came the boots and goggles, the latter of which he left resting atop his head for now, keeping his mane free from his eyes.

The pony in charge of the construction looked up as a gaggle of voices approached. Ah good, the next batch of workers had arrived!

Leaving his current group to carry on digging the latest batch of foundations, he strode over to meet them. And stopped short in surprise.

Was that a big, armored pony- sweet Celestia, why was Sombra here?! It was far too early for the re-crowned royal to be inspecting the site! They had nothing prepared to show him..

--Why did he or Celestia not warn me?-- he blanched, trying to keep a cool head as the big pony spotted him.

Sombra seen the pony Shining Armor had described as being the foreman-in-charge, and walked over. Under the cloak, the foreman could see the impressive wingspan Sombra was fast becoming famous for, the wings shifting and settling close to their bearers sides.

As he got close enough, Sombra cleared his throat, "Good afternoon, Girder, isn’t it?" he double checked the note Shining Armor had given him.

Girder nodded, standing as straight as he could, it would be rude to slouch! "Aheh...Yes, your highness! I'm the head foreman. Welcome! I'm afraid I wasn't forewarned of your arrival..." he winced, that sounded dumb. But he was unsure what Sombra was thinking, with that near-professional poker face of his.

--Remind me never to play cards with this guy...--

Seeing the foreman’s baffled expression, Sombra realised the problem. He pulled a letter from the pocket of his cloak, floating it over to him.

Girder opened it, seeing it was from Shining Armor and Cadance. As he read it, his eyebrows raised and he looked up at Sombra once he was done.

"Let me get this straight, you want to join the workforce? Are you sure, your highness?"

"There is no need for formalities, and I'm very sure. There is little for me to do in the Empire right now. The Umbrum are happy, they have somepony to watch over them while I'm away. I would rather have something productive to do than sit around the palace all day."

"Well, if that’s your choice your majesty, I ain’t gonna argue!" The foreman gave him a glance over "we appreciate any help possible, and no offence intended, but you're built like a tank. We could use the extra muscle."

Sombra smiled in amusement "seems about time it be put to some other use than just a fight!"

Girder nodded "Well, be prepared to be worked to the bone. Royalty or not, this is a big job and I don’t go easy on anypony."

"That will not be a problem." Sombra stated. Girder gave an efficient bow, then motioned Sombra and all the others to follow him, and he'd set them up with somewhere to sleep. He again pointed out to Sombra this wasn't luxury, but Sombra dismissed it, saying he was fine.

Girder did make one concession in the end, when it came to sleeping arrangements. They were all sleeping in groups in a set of prefabbed buildings that'd been set up to house the workers. He found a screen amongst the stuff that'd been brought in from the trains, and this meant Sombra had some degree of privacy.

It seemed only polite for the royal pony, even if Sombra DID keep insisting there was no need for formalities.

"OK, all set. If you need anything, your highness-"

"There's no need for formalities, really." Sombra managed a small smile. He still needed time to adjust, at least that was what he kept telling himself.

"Sire?"

"I know there are those that're uncomfortable with addressing me as such, and it seems unnecessary to force that obligation on them." Sombra said lightly.

Girder cocked an eyebrow, sensing something was a bit off with Sombra's oddly relaxed attitude "Everypony knows the story, your highness. If not by direct occurrence, then by the papers and gossip. It would be rude of us not to use your rightful title, especially after the effort you put in to rightfully gain it this time."

Sombra felt himself flush at the reminder.

"I'd advise you get settled in and have some food, we start your shift early in the morning!" Girder made a mental note of the stallion's red face, wondering what was behind it? What was the pony hiding?

Sombra nodded, heading back inside to set the saddlebags and the case he'd brought with him behind the screen. With a small smile, he settled down atop the squishy mattress. He removed the armor physically this time, as the spell only allowed him to summon it from close distance, hence why he'd worn it on disembarking the train.

He began writing a letter, describing the day to Pinkie Pie and the others, and thanking the pink pony for the cakes!

"There.." he murmured, rolling the scroll up and using the spell he'd been taught to send it to Celestia. Satisfied, he sat up, seconds later hearing a bell ringing. That had to be the call for dinner.

He got up and trotted back outside, hoping he could do some good here!

That night, he pulled out the blanket Celestia and Luna had made for him, wrapping himself in it as he drifted asleep.

He was awoken by a loud clanging. He shot bolt upright, struggling to make sense of his surroundings. Then he recognised where he was, and hurriedly pulled on the boots Applejack had made for him, and trotted out from behind the screen set up around his sleeping space. Many pony’s did double takes on seeing him walk by. Without the cloak covering him, the wings were ever more obvious!

The first part of the morning was spent explaining what area they were working on, and what was to be done. Curious about how much work an Umbrum could DO, Girder sent Sombra over to the group that was pulling the iron beams that would form the skeleton of the houses, as well as the foundation!

Most could only haul about half a cart on their own, but soon after loading it, Sombra realised it felt a bit light to him. So he stacked on MORE.

Girder stared in surprise as Sombra strode calmly by with an almost overflowing cart. He unloaded it quickly, easily grabbing the bundles with his magic and setting them where needed. Then he calmly returned for more. His muscles ached a little afterwards, but the exercise felt nice!

"Not too shabby." Girder nodded as Sombra completed the last run "but there's plenty left to do!"

He led Sombra over to where some earth ponies were finishing digging holes for support beams, to form the skeletal outline of the house.

"Let's see if that magic of yours can get those beams into the holes." the foreman nodded at the beams Sombra had been towing for the last hour. Sombra looked at the beams, then studied the layout of the holes. An idea occurred, and the surrounding ponies seen his eyes light up. He turned to Girder, and they had a whispered conversation.

"Alright everypony, move back!" Girder shooed everypony away to a safe distance as Sombra walked to stand in the middle of the floor plan for the home. He unfolded his wings, their massive span getting a few raised eyebrows. He closed his eyes, his magic springing to life. The seven beams needed for the first set of holes floated free, surrounding him in a circle, ends pointed down.

"What’s he-?" one pony whispered, then she got her answer a second later:

With one powerful beat of his wings, the Umbrum Alicorn flew up into the sky. The beams followed, and he aligned them with where they were due to go. He raised them higher, then abruptly slammed them downwards.

With a series of earth shaking thuds, they slammed into the holes down below, even embedding themselves a fraction deeper through sheer force of delivery. He landed on the ground, looking a bit flushed, lifting that much hadn't been easy.

But it worked, the beams were firmly in place! All that was needed NOW was to fill the holes in with cement.

"Impressive," Girder acknowledged. He hadn’t thought it would work. But Sombra was clearly stronger then he'd guessed, both in physical strength and his magic.

"Should I do the rest?" Sombra gestured to the second half. Everypony in the crowd nodded silently!

So he went through a second round, delivering the beams into the pre-set foundation slots. By the time he was done, ponies from other teams were gathering around, drawn by the display.

Girder noticed he looked a little out of breath after the second time.

"Give it a rest for a few, your majesty" he remarked "you've effectively finished the entire task in a fraction of the time, you can take a break!"

Sombra nodded, wheezing something about formalities, then ambling off to get a drink.

"Never seen anything like it!" Girder remarked to one of the junior foremen "I knew he was powerful, but I didn't think he could string together a spell like that!"

The days that followed were hard, heavy work, but Sombra didn’t complain. It felt good to be doing something worthwhile with his new abilities. He'd repeated the trick with the support beams several times, cutting the work time into fractions! His muscles cramped and ached as he collapsed onto his bed after the end of the third day, but he felt happy!

Girder was surprised but quite impressed by how much Sombra could do. The pony really threw his strength into the tasks he was given, determined to put his size and strength to good use!

He was a LITTLE concerned Sombra was overdoing it, as he seen him wince a few times over the course of one of the days!

Not long after setting down behind his screened off little sleeping area after his shift, Sombra heard someone calling his name! He got up and trotted round the screen.

"Girder wants to speak with you!" The messenger told him, and Sombra thanked him before going in search of the foreman.

"Got a surprise for you, your highness!" Girder brought him to one of the warehouses, nudging open the door. Inside was a big metal tub, filled with steaming hot water.

"You've been pulling more than double yer weight these last few days your highness. No way is that easy on your body. These tubs are usually used to mix chemicals, but I had this one cleaned up and disinfected. Hot bath'll do wonders for muscle pains!"

Sombra stared, surprised by the gift.

"So take your time, here's the key for the warehouse so you can have some privacy, just drop it off with any of my subordinates once your done!"

Sombra couldn’t help but smile "Thank you.." He said sincerely.

"No problem your highness!" Girder nodded and left Sombra to relax.

The hot water was total bliss, as Sombra had been getting used to slightly cold showers so far. He uttered a deep sigh as the heat of the water sank into his bones. He was reminded of that spa hidden inside Canterlot Castle that Celestia had shown him!

Two days later, girder caught him as he was leaving the dining hall after breakfast. It was snowing, so Sombra had put on his cloak for extra warmth!

"Scout groups found a cave out on the outskirts. Far as we can tell it's empty, but there's a lot of heavy rocks that need removing so we can use it as a storage area. Reckon you're up for more haulage work your highness?"

Something in Sombra went a little cold at hearing the word "cave", but he dismissed it rapidly, nodding. Then he set off with the directions in hoof.

Girder frowned, just for a second he thought he'd seen the pony look worried, but it'd vanished in a second. Maybe he was imagining things?

As he was turning back to his clipboard, another group came up to him.

"What’s the beef?" Girder asked casually.

"Uh..well, we have a few questions about his highness..."

"If this is about gossip over the reason he's here, I'll be blunt. He didn't want to sit on his ass in the Empire, prefers to have something to do, which I can respect. If you have a problem with him, say it or stow it, clear?"

The group nodded, then another piped up "Well, there’s a slight problem...a-about Sombra that is..."

Sombra ran it over and over in his head. It was just a cave. Just. A. Cave. He pushed aside the fear of his nightmares and forced himself onwards. All too soon the cave loomed out of the early morning snowstorm, and he felt a chill settle in his gut. He slowed to a halt outside the cave, heart racing. The dark mouth of it filled his vision, seeming to stretch forever.

He had to force himself to keep going, walking into the dark maw. He lit his horn so he could find his way and followed the painted arrows on the walls towards where he could hear voices. At last he emerged into a big open space, which had about a dozen ponies milling around.

"Ah, I take it Girder sent you?" Sombra blinked as one of them approached. Ignoring the feeling of the walls pressing in, he nodded wordlessly.

"You alright? You're white as a sheet! You're not claustrophobic are you?"

"N-no! No, it's fine." Sombra told himself not to be a fool, and squashed the fear down once more. This was ridiculous.

The pony cast him a dubious look for a moment, but at last nodded and beckoned Sombra to follow him.

He showed Sombra the rubble they needed moved, and suggested he borrow one of the carts from the main building area. With his capabilities, they'd have it cleared in no time. Sombra nodded, he could relax once he got started on the work, he was sure-

There was a loud clang somewhere behind him. Sombra jumped, any remaining color draining from his face as flashbacks of chains clanking assaulted his mind. He seen it was just a pony dropping a pickaxe back onto a pile of them, and
forced his racing heart to slow down.

"Look, if something's the matter?" the pony he was shadowing was genuinely concerned.

"I...I just need some fresh air. I'll go fetch that cart. Its nothing to worry about, I'm fine." Sombra fumbled for the words, before heading for the way out. But inside, he felt like he'd been transported back to those early days.

Phantom itching began around his legs and neck, where the chains and manacles had rested. His stomach heaved and he picked up the pace, grateful nopony was working in the tunnel, or they'd have seen a distinctly queasy Alicorn go haring by, looking freaked out.

Sombra bolted outside into the snow, casting about- there! He spotted some hardy looking shrubs and dove behind them just in time, as the force of the traumatic memories had him emptying his stomach. He coughed heavily, vision blurred.

A mix of sickness and shame battled deep within. He should be over this by now, shouldn’t he? Why did a simple cave make him feel like this? It hadn't been the cave itself that'd been so scary, but the brute holding him hostage!

Why didn’t his brain believe him?

His wings shook and trembled as he stood there, hunched over, waiting to see if the nausea was gone. A few shaky seconds more and he was able to take a deep breath. Lucky for him, there was a small creek running near the cave. He stumbled as he walked over to it. Even though the water was semi-frozen by the cold, he was able to break the ice with his hoof and take a good long drink. He felt a little better, a bit calmer...

"Sir?" he jumped, spinning round to see one of the workponys from the cave, wearing a jumpsuit and hard hat hovering a short distance behind him.

"Boss sent me to see if you were OK? He thought you looked a bit ill."

He took a look at the royal pony. Sombra's ears were drooping, he looked pale, and he was shivering from something more then cold. These looked more like convulsions from panic.

"If you're claustrophobic, the boss says he can get Girder to transfer you elsewhere. I got a cousin with that issue, it's rough on him-"

"Its not...not the tight spaces." Sombra shook his head, wondering why he was spilling this to a total stranger. But right now, containing it felt like more than he could handle.

"I..." he closed his eyes "you no doubt know the story of how I came to be back here again?"

"Yeah, I read the papers. That gargoyle guy woke you up because he needed dark magic."

"The cave he kept me chained up in, that one in there felt just like it. I thought the nightmares had stopped, but in reality I fear I've just been too busy to dream of them."

"Oh man, I'm sorry." the pony looked sympathetically at the scared royal. He could see Sombra was rubbing one hoof at his neck, leaving a red mark-

"It's gone.." he said kindly, walking over and pulling the pony’s hoof away from his neck "Nopony's gonna force you through that again, no way, no how."

Sombra nodded, setting his hoof down. The snow clung to his mane, even as it seemed to never cease movement. His wings shivered and pressed to his sides as he stood there, staring at the water, at his pale reflection.

He was about to say he was OK, the pony could get back to work again, when they both heard distant screams. Sombra tensed up, wings raising in preparation of trouble. He and the work pony shared glances, then they both raced back towards the mouth of the cave-

In time to see the work ponies spilling out, eyes wide with panic.

"What's happening?" Sombra asked, then he seen what was standing in the cave entrance. It was a HUGE timber wolf. This thing was easily twice the size of an average one. He could only guess at how it'd gotten that way. It let out a furious roar, eyes fixed on the ponies that'd stumbled upon its hoarding place. It'd been keeping food and anything it found out in the area safe in there...

Seeing it ready to lunge for the workers, Sombra fired a bolt of magic at it. It stopped, looking for the culprit, but they were obscured by the increasing snow.

"Sir?" the pony looked up at Sombra.

"I'll take care of it." Sombra promised. He shut his eyes, summoning his armor as he'd done before. The pony stared in shock as the silver armor shimmered into being, fitting Sombra like a glove! Then Sombra switched into his crystal form, the wings snapping out with a whip crack!

"Get yourself and the others to safety!" He told the helper pony, who nodded and slipped away, wishing Sombra luck, he'd need it!

Sombra ran forward, and yelled at the timberwolf:

"Over here you brainless brute!" he hollared. The thing whipped round, eyes narrowing as it seen this pony. It roared, lunging for him. Sombra flew up out of its reach, firing at it once more. In this manner he was able to lead it away into the storm, so it couldn't harm the other ponies.

"Is he crazy?" somepony yelled.

"Even if he is, he's the best chance we have of beating that thing! You've heard what his magic's like!" another blurted.

The pony who'd been speaking with Sombra before the attack was concerned the stallion would get lost out there. Then he had an idea-

"We need to get back to town, I think there’s some flares there! If we send out a few, he should be able to find his way back!"

Sombra had to put his wings to good use, ducking and weaving out of the timberwolf's grasp as it reared up and swiped at him. But while his attacks WERE damaging the thing, blasting chunks out of its limbs and making it hard for the monster to move, it wasn’t enough.

He had to try something else. What if it was destroyed from the INSIDE? He seen the glow of fire within its gaping jaws as it roared at him, the sound snatched away by the storm.

Losing the wolf temporarily in the snow, Sombra closed his eyes, creating a big ball of magic. He compacted it as much as he could, like that spell those lunatic cult ponies had tried to blow up a street with!

There, it was done! But it wouldn't stay compressed for long, he'd have one shot at best-

He collapsed to the snow, feigning exhaustion and defeat as it came pounding over. Hiding the ball in his hoofs. He held this position on the ground as it sniffed him, eyes fixed on its serrated teeth, the sharp jaw...

Then, as it opened its mouth to no doubt rip him limb from limb, he pushed his body up and fired the ball of magic straight into its throat. It stumbled back choking, and the claw it'd raised continued on it its momentum as, in its last moments, it swiped the pony aside.

The blow caught Sombra by surprise, flinging him away. He felt his body hit a solid expanse of rock, which drove the air from his lungs, and he collapsed at the base of the stone.

An explosion shook the earth, and he seen bits of timberwolf bounce close to where he lay. He sighed in relief, then got to his hooves. It was gone.

He took a few shaky steps forward, before realising he didn't know where he was. He'd run far during the battle. His stomach sank, and panic clawed at common sense. He tried to fly, only to experience a jagged pain in his right wing. He looked down at it, seeing there was a massive crack, a VERY deep one, cutting across it.

The armor was dented badly, cracked in one place. It hurt to lift it, so he let it trail in the snow as he began to hesitantly trek back in the direction he THOUGHT he'd come.

On the verge of getting truly panicked, he seen a blazing red light fly up into the sky, just visible in the storm. He started to head for it, hope keeping him moving.

More flares lit the sky at intervals. He tried to fire a bolt of magic himself, but pain and cold were making it impossible right now. So he just kept moving...

"Nothing! Where is he?" Girder was getting worried. If he- was he referred to as a Prince or King by his race? He couldn’t recall, but he was sure the Umbrum favoured a King from their legends. He hadn't gotten round to asking Sombra. Calling him "your highness" seemed to do just fine so far..

Back to the original thought, if the pony was lost, he'd face a very angry set of Umbrum's!

"There!" Another stallion was peering into the snowstorm from the edge of the construction radius. Sure enough, a faint shape was staggering towards them, but it didn’t resemble a pony. It looked odd, hunched over, something dragging to one side.

A couple of ponies, panicking on instinct, grabbed hammers and stepped forward, but then the snow cleared enough for them to see-

It was Sombra. The crystal Umbrum was hard to spot in the blizzard, the armor covered in snow. He stared at the hammer wielding ponies all staring at him in turn, and just collapsed to the ground. His ears were ringing...

Somepony was shouting something, and trying to get him to his feet. He gasped in pain as the broken wing was moved, and the pain briefly gave him clarity to listen to the pony trying to help him.

He limped inside the building he was led to, the canteen, managing to slither onto a seat at the nearest table. He rested his forehoofs on the table, letting his head rest between them, closing his eyes. It was warm...

"Hay!" A hoof hit the table in front of him, startling him awake.

"Focus, your highness!" It was Girder, trying to keep him awake "we can't let you go sleeping in case your concussed. You've got a cut on your head there. The Doctor will be here in just a moment."

He gave the stallion a sympathetic glance "what happened out there?"

"It..." Sombra struggled to focus on him, his vision going in and out of focus "it didn’t like being disturbed. It tried to claw me to pieces. In the end...I shoved a magically compressed spell down its throat and blew it up."

"Wow..." Somepony said at the back "that's one way of dealing with it!"

"Well good riddance to it, that damn thing nearly clobbered a dozen workers!" Girder nodded. Seeing Sombra about to doze off, he thudded a hoof down on the table again, seeing Sombra jolt awake once more. He truly felt bad for putting his highness through this, but a concussion could be a dangerous thing.

The door was flung open and the on-site Doctor barged in, wiping snow off his glasses.

"What's- oh my!" he stared at Sombra "the Umbrum King? Okay..."

He ventured over, looking apologetic as he realised his patient was in a bad way "I hate to say this, but I have no clue how to deal with a literal crystal pony, your highness."

Sombra managed to sit himself up enough to focus on the doctor "to be fair," he croaked "that's still being catalogued..."

He had a brief spark of an idea "If...I can reinstate the illusion form...it might..take the form of an injury you can treat."

"That'd be a capital idea, but wont that hurt?" he trailed off as Sombra shut his eyes, struggling to dredge up enough magic. With the cold no longer an issue, and just his pain, Sombra was able to piece together the necessary spell to regain what he called the "illusion" form, aka the one that made him appear as a normal pony. There was a static charge through the room, then a swift flash of magic.

Sombra collapsed to the table once more, the pain rearing up again. But he'd done it. He now resembled the normal form, with feathery soft wings. The next step was to remove the armor, which felt like the most painful, protracted experience Sombra had ever had. Girder and the Doctor helped as much as they could, but it took a few minutes to remove the armor plates.

"Okay..." The Doctor quickly got to checking the more familiar "traditional" wing in front of him. It soon became apparent that a massive gash in the crystal translated to a badly broken bone.

Sombra drifted in and out of consciousness as the Doctor braced and bandaged his wing, then cleaned up the other cuts Sombra had sustained. He was able to determine Sombra wasn’t badly concussed, as he was able to answer the Doctor's questions clearly, his memory wasn’t jumbled up.

He seemed shaken up and exhausted beyond measure, so the Doctor escorted him to the sleeping quarters, steering the wobbly stallion to his private screened-off bed, and made sure he had water and pain relief pills. At long last, an incredibly sleepy Sombra finally dozed off.

The Doctor walked back to the gathered crowd in the canteen.

"His highness alright?" Girder asked. The Doctor nodded.

"He'll be fine, I've never treated him before, but I get the impression he's quite resilient. one word of advice though, I wouldn’t let him do any heavy work until that bone has healed past a certain point. Especially not flight, that wing will be unusable until its fully repaired."

Girder nodded "under the circumstances, that won't be an issue. We'd be dealing with a lot more loss if he hadn't intervened."

"I just wonder why he didn't mention he was claustrophobic.." the pony that'd been worried about Sombra's rapid evac from the cave earlier spoke up. The Doctor opened his mouth to query it further, when another pony interrupted;

"It isn't claustrophobia." he said softly. Everypony looked over at him, so he cleared his throat, feeling he needed to tell them the truth.

"He said the cave reminded him of the one that crazy gargoyle kept him chained up in. That's why he booked it outta there, it brought back some bad memories. By the time I reached him, I think he'd been pretty ill already, he didn't look so good." he described Sombra's state of shock, and the doctor nodded.

"PTSD, somehow I'm not surprised. If half the rumours about what he went through are true its a marvel he's still functioning. It's only natural for similar situations to trigger his emotions. I'd advise against letting him go anywhere near a cave FULL STOP." he spoke this to Girder, who sighed.

"I shoulda seen it, I thought he looked a bit freaked out when I said it to him, but he seemed to dismiss it so fast it didn't register with me. I'm guessing he didn’t want to cause a fuss."

"It can be hard to deal with when it rears its head," The doctor nodded "some days can be alright, some nights will be peaceful, but it can just as abruptly show itself again. Depending on what he went through, it could be a long time before he'll feel safe in a cave. I'd recommend letting him rest for a few days, and go easy on him with the workload. I've noticed he's particularly popular with the heavy lifting."

"He's good at what he does doc," Girder agreed "but don't worry, I'll find something less physical for him to do."

The ponies dispersed, discussing Sombra's history since being revived. They only knew what the official reports had said, not how the pony himself was coping.

Sombra woke up sluggishly as he heard a faint clanging. Wait, wasn't he supposed to be at work?

He sat up, and felt several sprained muscles complain, and his right wing-

It all came rushing back and he winced as he recalled fighting the giant timberwolf. And getting smacked around by it. He looked down at his wing, seeing it'd been supported and bandaged nicely, and there was a note detailing how and when to take the painkillers, and not to FLY.

"No chance of that." Sombra sighed as he got up. By the time he'd taken the medicine, everypony else had already long since cleared out of the sleeping quarters. He put his cloak on, noting it hadn’t sustained too much damage, just a tear here and there. He'd ask Rarity when he seen her next.

With the warm cloak wrapped around him and his boots back on, he ambled slowly outside and spotted Girder just ahead of him.

Girder turned as his name was called, and did a double take.

"Your highness! You should be resting!" he could see Sombra still looked pale.

"But I'm able to walk, and the pain isn’t that bad. I-"

"I know you don't want to be sitting on your ass, you said as such when we met. But after yesterday, the Doctor has stated he will flay me alive if I have you hauling anything heavy!"

Sombra sighed worriedly "so much for doing something useful."

"It wasn't your fault what happened, your majesty. Heck, I owe you a great deal for saving the guys in that cave. I understand you're trying to make up for lost time, but please don’t run yourself into the dirt. I don't want a whole empire of upset Umbrum's on my tail. You're doing far better than you think."

Sombra looked stunned, caught off guard by how easily this pony, like Discord, had seen through him.

"Am I that easy to read?" he pondered.

"Yes and no," Girder chuckled kindly "You have a poker face a Las Pegasus pro would be envious of, most the time. But I've been working with all different types of ponies in this job. I've seen 'em all, learnt to read 'em all. You've got the air of somepony that’s trying to avoid the spotlight and put his nose to the grindstone. I can respect that, it's not far off my own way of working. Just get things done."

A nod from Sombra as Girder motioned him to follow, so they could continue talking.

"But you gotta think about how they seen all this shenanigans. They seen what used to be a former foe of the Empire pop up out of the blue under Celestia's care, turn into a crystal Alicorn and kick a gargoyle up the wazoo to save Canterlot. It was a lot to take in. Then finding out you were the prophecised guardian for an entire long lost race, it's quite a life you've led in a few short months! True, nopony knew what to make of you at the start, how you'd act, it was a little uncertain for awhile."

"I feel like I'm still catching up." Sombra sighed.

"Again, understandable. I heard about the coronation at the stadium, how you tried to duck the issue for awhile."

Sombra gave an embarrassed cough "I was afraid of a storm of ire and fury when the outside world discovered it. But it made the Umbrum so happy, I had to do what was going to make THEM happy, even if I wasn't ready for it yet."

"That why you keep telling everypony to drop the formalities, huh? Listen, I've had a couple of the guys approach me, saying they're a little concerned."

Sombra's stomach dropped, this couldn’t be good...

But, much the same as the case with the palace guard telling him him he wasn’t under arrest, he'd misread the situation.

"They said they don't know how to properly address you, your highness. Firstly, they're not sure what the official title IS, the newspapers mention the Umbrum traditions are a little different. Secondly, the times they HAVE addressed you as such, you insist there's no need for them to call you that. They raised concerns it seems to pain you to hear that phrase."

Sombra reddened slightly "It was perhaps my misunderstanding that it would be easier for them if they didn't have to feel obligated. I know this whole business has been harder then most for the Empire ponies especially-"

"Actually sire, they're the ones raising it for the most part."

Sombra blinked, caught off guard yet again.

"I'm serious. I'll level with you, your majesty. Seems to me like you’re more afraid of them than they are of YOU. I understand you're anxious not to put a hoof wrong with them, but I'll repeat my earlier statement "you're doing better then you think". They asked out of concern of being interpreted as DISRESPECTFUL. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

Sombra didn't know what to say, so he nodded, still slightly flushed.

"Now, what do the Umbrum's call you? The papers referred to you as the King, is that the official term?"

"According to tradition, yes." Sombra had asked his mother about it "I did ask the Memory Keeper if perhaps we should adhere to modern traditions and get it more in line with the terminology used now. But..."

He recalled the talk with his mother, who'd understood his concerns but asked a favour of him.

"-She said she understood my misgivings, but that the Umbrum's have carried this tradition since the dawn of our kind. They've always had a Queen or King, and given how long they've been locked away, the worlds changes are overwhelming. They need something familiar to hold onto. So she asked I keep it as tradition dictates, and keep the title intact."

"Ah, I see," Girder studied Sombra's thoughtful expression was they walked. He seen how steeped in thought Sombra was now, dark red eyes full of a small amount of unease, brow furrowed. It was getting harder and harder to pair THIS Sombra with the one from the Empire's history books. He was calm, well mannered, and far more intelligent than Girder had ever thought. It was funny to think he was an entirely different species, he looked like a normal pony, bar a slightly sturdier build and the more colorful unicorn horn.

"Well, I will inform them of that, it'll answer their question. Now the other matter, about them referring to you as "your highness" or "Your majesty". It seems you don't always respond when addressed, like you're spacing out, or it's awkward for you."

Sombra sighed, going even redder, plainly embarrassed by how he'd been caught out "I thought informality would be better. It seems I either go too far or not far enough!"

"It's understandable, and these concentrated efforts of yours seem to have played a part in charming them to you this time around. But you need to ease up on yourself. You don't need to keep trying to prove it to them. They understand, your highness."

"I see. I think I understand better now."

"So please don’t feel awkward acknowledging your sovereignty. They mean it as a sign of respect, that's why they came to me, they were hoping I'd put forward the idea to you to make it easier."

Sombra couldn't help a small smile at the stallions persuasive manner. He nodded, accepting the point.

"If it makes it easier for them, then it is no problem."

"Thank you, sire." Girder nodded, relieved Sombra had accepted what he'd proposed.

"Here we are!" He indicated where he'd been leading Sombra. A short distance away were the ponies Sombra had helped by distracting the timberwolf. Along with a second team all wearing hard hats in red.

"The cave team," Girder explained "since the attack, we've been much more careful, sending in the guards along with the best trained unicorns."

"An excellent idea," Sombra agreed "Has there been any-?"

"No sire, we think this one was alone. There's no other signs, and we've made remarkable progress with the Attack and Recon Search Effort teams.

Sombra blinked, as he processed this acronym. "ARSE?" he queried after a few seconds pause, trying not to snicker.

Girder rolled his eyes, "ARSE, your majesty. Childish, I know. I didn’t come up with it. I think somepony is yanking my chain." Sombra laughed, it WAS amusing. Something he imagined Discord approving of. He made a mental note to write the Draconequus a letter later that night.

One of the group spotted Sombra talking to Girder, and nudged his friend. From there it spread like wildfire, and soon they were all gazing curiously over at the royal pony.

"Well, we've been spotted." Girder looked up at Sombra "can you spare a moment more, your highness?"

Sombra nodded, gesturing to the bandaged wing under his cloak "of course, there's not much I can do until this heals sufficiently, so I'd be glad of something to do."

"Excellent, sire. Follow me!" Girder smiled and headed over to the group.

They all turned to face the King as he approached. Catching Girder's subtle nod, they addressed him in unison;

"Greetings, your highness!"

Sombra felt the familiar jolt of nerves, but recalled Girder's explanation just a few minutes ago. So he quashed the urge to insist they not use formalities, instead switching tack to greet them politely and gratefully.

Those that'd spoke to Girder, working as part of the ARSE team, were surprised to not get told off for using the formal greeting. A glance at Girder's calm smile made them realise he'd obviously aired their concerns with the stallion, and he'd accepted their request. A unanimous sigh of relief rippled through them, and many relaxed now that load was off their back.

"Is everypony alright after the attack?" Sombra asked. The pony at the front of the group nodded. Sombra recognised him as the one who'd come after him when he'd bolted in terror from the cave.

"Everypony evacuated unharmed, your highness, thanks to your help! We'd have been full of more holes then fine cheese if you hadn't fought that thing! It was outta control, I've never seen a timberwolf act that way!"

More nods accompanied this statement.

"I did wonder about that." Sombra thought back to the fight "it did seem far more powerful then any I've read about. Miss Applejack detailed an incident of those things attacking her and her friends. They're usually pack animals, aggressive but not like THAT!"

Somepony gave a low whistle.

"Indeed," Sombra surmised "quite an odd occurrence. I sensed fragments of magic inside it, but degraded. My guess is it came across either a failing magical ward, or mayhap ingested an amulet by accident?"

"Sounds legit." One of the unicorns nodded "that thing had strength up the wazoo!"

"How is your wing?" another pony asked Sombra "I heard it was broken?"

Sombra nodded, raising his cloak via magic to show the bandaged appendage "sadly yes, it will be a while before I can fly. But it's nothing to be concerned about, once my magic is fully replenished and the Doctor says it is safe, I can work."

He dropped the cloak back down "The last few weeks have been full of explosions, chaos and fighting. I'm used to it by now."

Many assumed he spoke of the battle of Canterlot. That had been an EPIC big fight, with the Umbrum Alicorn going up against a magic infused gargoyle!

"Alright you lazy lot. Lets not take up any more of his majesty's time-"

"But I have precious little to do with it since the Doctor doesn't want me working!" Sombra objected. "Is there not SOME task I can do?" he honestly looked a little bummed out.

"And I have a duty to return you in one piece to your Umbrum's, they will not be pleased if their King winds up in hospital because of my carelessness!" Girder retorted.

"As you wish." Sombra chuckled, seeing what he'd done. By slipping the fact of his being referred to as "King" so easily into the conversation, it'd let the curious ponies get their answer without any awkwardness.

"Very well," Sombra gave a nod "I'll return to the sleeping area. This will be a good time to study the books Princess Twilight gave me."

The other ponies bowed and said goodbye, with Girder shooting him a grateful nod for honouring his request.

As he'd promised himself, he wrote the letter to Discord and sent it via the spell. Then, feeling surprisingly tired, dozed off.

He dozed on and off throughout the day, hearing the occasional pony enter the sleeping quarters and leave again shortly after.

When he heard the bell ringing for dinner, he was surprised to see the Doctor walk in the door to the sleeping quarters.

"Ah, your majesty! I was just coming to check on you. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Sombra smiled weakly "aside from aching all over."

The Doctor checked his injuries, satisfied the bandages were supporting his wing properly.

"I meant to say it yesterday, but I’d advise not changing forms if you can help it."

"Best to let it heal, I understand. Even I do not fully understand this Infinitum body. A lot has changed, its not just a pair of wings that's new."

"It's an impressive race, your Umbrum's," the Doctor said admiringly "made of what I can only IMAGINE is a super tough crystal! As their leader, your composition must be something exceptional. Not to mention a MALE Alicorn, nopony's ever seen one before!" he shook his head, eyes bright as he talked "I know it must seem impertinent of me, your highness, but-"

"Let me guess; You'd like to study me, perchance?" Sombra sounded amused.

The doctor flushed.

"It's alright," Sombra said kindly, and when the Doctor looked up at him, the stallion directed an honest smile towards him "I don't bite, not any more."

The doctor coughed and nodded, looking embarrassed as Sombra spoke again;

"As I have learned from Princess Twilight, studying is vital. There is a lot I don't know about my own species. A great deal of it was- IS still buried deep inside. I have been so far been unable to regain everything after the events of the revival and capture."

"I won't ask you to relive any of that, your highness!" The Doctor said hurriedly, looking aghast at the thought "nopony deserved what you endured!"

"I'm slowly coming to terms with it..." Sombra stared into the distance, "truth be told I hadn't had time to think about it until the cave incident."

The Doctor frowned as he noticed Sombra agitatedly rubbing a hoof along his neck, in a motion that to him outlined where a collar would be.

--I heard it was brutal, that he was treated like an animal. It's all very well his saying it taught him a valuable lesson, it still did considerable damage by the looks of it.--

Seeing Sombra was still rubbing at his neck, he snagged the pony's hoof with one of his own and firmly lowered it.

"You've nothing to be afraid of here. Nopony blames you for feeling uncomfortable about the cave. Don't force yourself to get over it, just take it a step at a time. I'm sure in time..."

Sombra nodded, feeling himself flush at how easily he'd let the memory bother him.

"Pardon me for being so intrusive your majesty, but, have you had any sort of counselling at ALL? Since this all began?"

"Yes, and no.." Sombra chuckled wryly "I've had six colorful ponies slowly getting closer day by day, and a Draconequus that just barges past every defence I put up, and tells me I need to stop hiding!"

"And have you spoken of the nightmares or panic attacks to these friends?"

"Well, " Sombra frowned "in a manner of speaking. Discord knows more of it than most, were it not for his interference I probably wouldn't even be able to stand anypony touching me. He may not be qualified, but I'd be far more fractured if he hadn't barged into my protective bubble and popped it!"

He gave a short but happy laugh, as he thought back to the pranks and silly arguments, and all the other time's he'd gained pleasant memories from Discord and the other ponies.

"Even when I was at my worst, when I tried to destroy my own wings, they refused to give up."

"You tried to- my goodness!" the Doctor paled "Your highness...why?!"

"I was pretty shocked to be alive once more after I fell into the crystal stasis. I thought the Canterlot battle was the end of me. I did not process at that time that the wings that'd been unleashed after this form was awoken, might well be permanent. I reasoned they'd merely been an aid to win."

"But they stayed?"

"Indeed. When Discord and Princess Celestia woke me again, the wings were there. I tried everything, reasoning I'd screwed up somehow on waking back up. I used a transformation spell to try and reset my physical form. And for all of 5 seconds, it worked. Then they tore through, and I was wrapped in bandages for a few days while they healed."

"Could you not accept them?" the Doctor guessed. Sombra shook his head.

"What frightened me the most, was what would happen if anypony seen them. The traditional Alicorn's that exist now, are beloved creatures of hope. To see a monster bearing an Alicorn's form would be abhorrent. At least, that’s what I convinced myself."

The Doctor was silenced, Sombra's story hitting him hard.

"So I tried to change it back, convincing myself all I needed to do was reset the spell that governed what is now called the "illusion form."" He gestured to how he looked now "I failed to factor in that the "crystal form" and this one were linked. Discord said they found me covered in blood, a total wreck."

He trailed off, shuddering slightly, recalling Discord's upset expression on discovering Sombra had done this to himself.

"After that, I tried tying them down, but the pain became unbearable. The few times I flew after that, I wasn’t very steady. Even now, although I can fly as well as a normal pegasus, I still try to sit on my instincts sometimes."

He sighed, staring at his hooves "although far smaller now, a part of me is relieved I have an excuse not fly for awhile, it makes it easier. Foolish as that may sound."

"Not really." a voice piped up, and it wasn't the Doctor's. Sombra felt a jolt of shock run through him and the unconstrained wing fluffed up, attempting to curl around its bearer, trying to shield him.

He attempted to wrestle with the errant wing, as his gaze fixed on the ponies gathered beside the screen that marked Sombra's private space. He hadn't heard the door open, but clearly dinner was over.

The injured wing throbbed painfully, wanting to be free like its twin and he bit back a snarl of pain, begging it to relax.

"Easy.." the Doctor mirrored Sombra's thoughts "just relax."

At last both wings were under control and some of the color returned to the exhausted pony’s face.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to eavesdrop. But when we heard about the wings.." The pony speaking was himself a pegasus, and felt a massive sympathy for the struggling Sombra.

Sombra could feel his face was going pretty red, but he couldn't look away from the impromptu crowd. It felt so odd to have something so personal laid bare. He'd expected them to dismiss it, have a chuckle at his pathetic fear.

"You don’t gotta worry, eh?" the mare from the train ride offered a smile "ya feel like there’s a lot riding on ya if you don’t get this right this time around, huh?"

"That would be an understatement." Sombra said softly, having finally reconnected his brain to his mouth.

The ponies, noting the King wasn't shutting down and pushing them away, decided to go for broke. Another stallion spoke up, giving a nervous bow and hoping the royal pony wouldn't take offence "The papers printed the whole thing courtesy of the Princess, but it'd mean a lot to us to hear your story."

Sombra was surprised, but figured now was as good a time as any, lest he wall himself up again. Discord had pointed out time and again he needed a lot of pushing to even set one hoof out of his comfort zone!

So he gave a wordless nod, then realised it'd make more sense if he spoke:

"What..." his voice was halting at first, then seemed to steady " what did you wish to know?"

And the queries piled forth.

"Do you have family among the Umbrum?"

"Only my mother. Given she used an ancient Umbrum ability to create me using her own magic back then, she is my lone "parent"."

"Wow, they can just spontaneously have kids?"

"Only in the rarest situations. With all the others captured, and she running low on power, she chose to invoke the ancient rite and was able to create an Umbrum before she fell into stasis. After that, she had to rely on the prophecy coming true, it was the final hope."

He sighed, staring at the blanket under his hooves "and I nearly cost them their freedom."

"Didn't she give you any hints on how to do that prophecy business? Seems a heavy load for a kid to carry."

Sombra shook his head "I grew up at the Crystal Empire orphanage, with no idea I wasn't a normal pony. Although I suspected in the manner children do, that the other kids knew something was off about me. They acted as if I didn’t belong there, and in a way they were right. It took until breaking point, before I fled the empire on a strange sort of auto pilot, ending up at the mother crystal."

"Then what?"

"She managed to trigger the memories necessary to reveal everything about what I was. But she hadn't expected my emotional state to be so damaged when I finally returned to her."

"What happened?" a mare asked, frowning sadly.

"As a little foal, I'd wanted to see the crystal faire. But when the orphanage director brought me to the Heart, I became very ill, suffered headaches so bad I thought I’d gone blind. One occasion, the Princess was there and I asked did she know why it hurt. She didn't speak for the longest time, then she shook her head. But she said if I took care, I would be able to overcome it someday. I was curled up on the ground, crying from fright as I struggled to see. She patted my mane, said she was sorry for what I was suffering. I didn't-"

He sighed "I didn't understand her back then. But looking back now, those headaches were a red flag for the damage the heart was doing to me. I didn’t KNOW the Hearts magic was corrosive to my kind. Perhaps my mother hoped that her exposure to it rendered me immune. While it bought me some time, a short childhood, it eventually got to me. And the Princess, she KNEW what I was."

Confused and startled murmurs raced around the crowd.

"Why would she let you suffer that way?" one of the Crystal Ponies asked.

Sombra looked over at him, his expression steeped in a mix of guilt and worry.

"I don't think she intended to deliberately hurt me. I guess her words were her way of saying if I could just bear up against the pain, I might have stood a chance of developing the immunity as I grew up. But it didn’t work out that way. When I discovered the orphanage director was being transferred elsewhere, I felt like I’d lost the only one who treated me like I was a normal pony. An upset child is a force that cannot be underestimated. I ran from the Empire, instinct kicked in and I ran to the mother crystals resting place."

"And she told you the truth?"

Sombra nodded, "she unlocked the knowledge of the Umbrum's. On top of losing the closest thing to a parent I'd had in the Empire, I was told I wasn't a normal pony, I was something else. Something powerful. I realised then, with that short burst of clarity, that the Princess had lied to me, she'd LET me go through all that agony, offering no other choice. That was when I let my anger get the better of me. I overrode the instincts she'd imprinted on me, and unlocked my full capabilities right out of the gate. That's how I was able to alter my base form from that of a child, to a full grown adult. I decided I'd BE the monster the kids at the orphanage derided me as. The mother crystal, she tried to stop me, saying she was sorry."

The crowds were mostly sitting on their behinds now, engrossed in the heart-wrenching story. This was what had led to a reign of tyranny, and going by the King's expression, it'd hurt him just as badly getting there. He'd chosen to give in to his anger, unable to come to terms with having his life torn apart and shaken up.

"After that, well, you know the story. I ran back to the Empire, running high on sheer power. I blasted the Empire's forces out of my way and zeroed in on the heart. The Princess tried to stop me, perhaps knowing further exposure to the heart would be my undoing, but I banished her from the Empire and took the heart hostage. As soon as I attempted to absorb its magic, all semblance of sanity was smothered under an avalanche of darkness. The rest, history knows well."

He looked up as a hiccup met his ears. He wondered why somepony had gotten the hiccups, had his story startled them that badly?

"I apologise if this was too sc-" that was when he realised they weren’t hiccuping, but crying. Quite a few of the ponies were actually quite teary eyed, one mare was using her friends coat tails to dry her eyes, to the other pony’s lack of notice.

"I-" Sombra felt a kick of guilt again and struggled to his hooves, wincing as his cramped muscles and sprains flared afresh at the unexpected movement, "ah-! -Apologise if I brought up such a personal part of your history-!"

"Hold the reins there!" The same mare dropped her friends coattails and walked over to look up at the guilt-stricken Sombra. The Umbrum Alicorn looked worried, body language and the look in his eyes showing the extent of his personal guilt. He still carried the weight of his actions, and it was taking its toll on him.

"That's not why we're sad. We've grown past that part of our past, and now we know WHY you showed up out of nowhere, we can understand. We never knew you were living among us for so long, we didn't connect an unhappy child with an invading unicorn."

She continued as Sombra made to speak "-no, you CAN'T keep carrying the blame for this. You've been doing it for too long now. IT has to stop. The Princess could have told you she knew who you were, maybe it would have helped avoid what happened, had she considered this was too much for you to cope with. Your mother had no option but to awaken your true nature, she was hoping the rest of your race could be freed if the war could just be explained. That's a heck of a burden for one pony, let alone a FOAL, to labour under all alone."

She looked sympathetically at him "I was at the stadium when the Umbrum mare asked all of us in the crowd to persuade you to accept your own birthright. That you chose to tell them the truth rather than just take the job proved to all of us your apology was genuine. You don't have to keep punishing yourself forever, it will do no good."

"But if it should ever even come CLOSE to happening again-"

"It WON'T," Another pony stepped forward, eyes teary too "We can see it in your eyes, in your actions thus far, that you wont LET it happen again. You can trust yourself, you know. We do!"

More nods and smiles. Again Sombra was struck by how everypony else that got to know him was able to see what he was capable of. The guard that'd responded so easily to seeing the crown on Sombra's head, and had flatly told Sombra he'd get used to his job. Discord had been doing it since day one.

--It IS in my nature to look after the Umbrum, isn’t it? I have the power to guard them, give them attributes and gifts as part of the Infinitum position. But my mother said the power means nothing without the pony's decisions behind it.--

His vision blurred, a funny shiver running through him. Something was changing...

--I CAN be their King...-- he thought, there'd been supporters outside of the Umbrum the whole time. Celestia, Discord, the girls...even the guard had begun giving him respectful nods if they passed him in the hall.

He flashed back to that morning when the crown had first been set upon his head, how right it had felt. But he'd been too scared of screwing up, and had foolishly refused to trust in himself. A habit he was still feeding to this moment-

--If I keep doing this to myself, then I'll be hurting the ones that depend on me. I have to...have faith in myself.-- The feeling finally loosened its grip on his brain.

With this revelation came a sudden fit of dizziness. The crowd uttered gasps of concern as Sombra abruptly seemed to space out then crumple to the floor, forelegs bracing just in time to avoid face planting onto the wooden floor.

The mare closest opened her mouth to ask was he alright, when a flash of light at Sombra's side caught their eye.

"Uggh....what happened?" Sombra finally managed to clear his head, persuading his vision to focus. The Doctor, who was closest to the strange light, tilted his head and did a double take.

"Your majesty...look!"

"Huh?" Sombra blinked sluggishly, then peered round to where the Doc was pointing. And stared.

"What in-?!" He abruptly yelped as if it was just sinking in, and leapt shakily to his hooves, canting round to again glance at his flank. This meant that the crowd got a look too.

..at what was undeniably a CUTIE MARK.

Author's Note

I LIVE!!! :pinkiehappy:

*cough* Sorry...i always do that...

But seriously, things got bad, depression and sickness and insomnia....UGH. Insomnia suuuucks... :twilightangry2:

I know some may be wodnering why its taken so logn for Sombra to get over all this, but from experience i know it can take forever to get over big mistakes... :fluttershysad:

Anyway...enjoy! :scootangel:

Confrontation

A cutie mark. An honest to goodness CUTIE MARK.

It was comprised of three shards of crystal, one faintly angled like a horn, the other two closer to wings. They were encircled towards the base by a stylized silver crown.

"Alright!" raucous cheering followed this reveal. Sombra stopped trying to chase his own tail, or cutie mark and stared out at the crowd.

"How is this even possible?" he asked.

"Well, seems you've - "

"No, I know how all of YOU get cutie marks," Sombra intercepted. "what I mean is: how the heck did I get one? Umbrum have never HAD cutie marks!"

Puzzled silence followed. Then one of the ponies piped up.

"Hay, Girder said you're the subject of some kinda prophecy right? What if it's part of your power? You were able to make your ponies immune to the Crystal Heart, right? Rumors say it transferred the gift to you and you in turn shared with the others."

Sombra pondered that.

"Indeed, that's what happened. You could be onto something there. I was able to assimilate the immunity to the Crystal Heart. And all that time ago I was able to change my appearance. Maybe you are correct. It could be that the Infinitum position has far more to it than anypony knows so far. This prophecy hasn't been seen in a long time, believed to be a myth until now."

"Tabula Rasa," one voice said. Sombra blinked.

“What's that?" he asked.

"It's an old term, from the Zebra homeland." The pony speaking gave a respectful bow. "I studied there a year or so ago, learnt so much. What they call a ‘Tabula Rasa’ in their myths is a creature that's almost entirely blank at birth, but it becomes what it desires, slowly molding itself based on what it learns and discovers. This sounds like what you have been doing!"

"Astonishing, I’ve never heard anything like that before..." Sombra's eyes brightened in curiosity. He stared again at the mark, in clear bewilderment "it's odd, I have not thought about cutie marks since - well, since the day I found out I’d never get one!"

"Maybe the wish never faded," a mare said, smiling at Sombra. "but now, with your new position, it could finally come true. Seems to me the Infinitum is like a master document. Like the ones that have spells on them so if you change the main one, they ALL change!"

Sombra nodded, feeling a funny sense of contentment as he looked at the mark on his flank.

"I would say it's pretty clear what it means," the doctor caught Sombra's eye. "by any chance Sire, did you decide to stop beating yourself up?"

Sombra's face said it all, as the stallion went red and stared at the doctor for a good few seconds, before coughing and eventually nodding. Many ponies chuckled at this. Seeing Sombra displaying such emotion was wonderful, compared to his former silence and anger. Many a mare thought he looked even cuter when he blushed!

Sombra just barely stifled a yawn, feeling suddenly sleepy. "Sorry," he mumbled, hearing a few chuckles.

"We'll let you rest, Sire." The other ponies began to disperse, pausing only to congratulate the King on gaining his cutie mark before drifting away.

Sombra curled up on his bed once more, writing a sleepy letter to Discord and another to be given to the Umbrum and then he dozed off.

Discord was watching the dishes clean themselves while he lounged on the couch when a burst of flame above his head heralded the arrival of a scroll, forwarded to him by Celestia.

"Hmn, what’s next Sombra?" Discord mused. "hope you haven’t broken anything else!"

He'd been concerned to hear about Sombra's tussle with the Timberwolf, but Sombra was as tough as they came, and he knew the stallion would recover quickly.

He took a sip from a cup of tea as he read, then did a double take -

"He got a what - ? My my, he's full of surprises!"

He conjured a quill and some paper and set about writing a reply.

He sent it the next morning, figuring Sombra would be up bright and early.

He was right. Sombra sat at the long tables in the canteen, eating breakfast along with the others.Those closest looked up as there was a puff of magic and a scroll appeared in thin air in front of him.

"Hmmm?" Sombra prodded the envelope, undoing the seal with his magic. "from Celestia?"

When the letter opened, it let out a customary HONK! which had the effect of startling several ponies and making Sombra scoot back so quickly he fell backwards off the bench with a loud yelp. With a POMF!, the undamaged wing puffed up, trying adorably to guard its bearer. The ponies peered down at him, seeing his startled expression, the King's eyebrows raised as he processed what’d just happened.

"DISCORD." Sombra huffed, face turning red. Hearing the muffled sniggers around the dining hall, he was confronted by his own desire to laugh. He lasted all of two seconds before he met the gaze of the nearest amused pony, and burst out laughing, clutching his sides and just laughing his ass off at the situation.

Pretty soon everypony else was joining in...

This was the scene that confronted Girder when he walked in. The ponies all crowding around one table, laughing and wiping their eyes. One happy laugh rose above them all. He pushed his way through, spying Sombra, still floor-bound, clutching his sides laughing.

"Are you OK, your Majesty?" he asked, bemused.

"I...ahh..." Sombra slowed down, managing to get a few breaths in "I'm quite alright...pfft..."

He sat himself up, snickering anew. At long last he pulled the letter towards him. The final line read.

"Nice one, silly Sombra.
Be seeing you soon!"

Sombra smiled, hoping he'd indeed see his friend soon, as well as the others. He missed them.

There was a second letter via the regular post, thankfully honk-free, from Princess Cadance. It asked if she and her husband might pay a visit shortly. They were on their way to another city and wished to drop in for a few hours as the development spot wasn't far out of the way of the tour. She apologised for the short notice, and asked he would respond ASAP?

Girders eyebrows threatened to raise right off his face when Sombra informed him, but said it wouldn’t be a problem to set up a tour for the date, even having one of the houses fully painted to show them!

Sombra sent a letter back confirming it would be fine.

Pinkie Pie pre-empted Discord's arrival with her Pinkie sense, doing a roly-poly down the hallway of Twilight Sparkle's castle before finishing off with a headstand.

"I've GOT to hear the occasion behind that!" Rainbow remarked. Pinkie Pie righted herself and grinned.

"Something special!" she crowed.

"Indeed!" a familiar voice spoke from behind the other five. They whirled, seeing Discord leaning out of a portal in thin air, waving a scroll.

"Ooh!" Pinkie Pie shot up to him. "What is? Tell us!"

Discord grinned, clearing his throat before declaring, "It appears Sombra has managed to once again enhance the Umbrum race by adding the ability to get a CUTIE MARK to his repertoire."

Silence reigned.

"Whoa nelly! Seriously?!" Applejack's eyebrows were in danger of vanishing under her fringe so surprised was she!

"YAYYY!" Pinkie Pie whooped.

"Wow..." Twilight Sparkle was wondering how he'd done it. "What is it?"

"He neglected to tell me, I think he was too surprised he'd pulled it off! Seems the silly pony’d wanted a cutie mark ever since he was your sister’s ages!" he replied, nodding to Rarity and Applejack.

"Aw, that’s wonderful!" Rarity beamed.

"PARTY!" Pinkie Pie was in full fidget mode. "we gotta have a cute-cinera! Now!"

"Slow DOWN Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"Won’t it take hours to travel there? A-and the trains aren’t due to go out there for another week..I think..." Fluttershy asked.

"Well..." they all looked at Discord as he failed to suppress a grin. "we could travel chaos express, gets us all there in no time! All I have to do is lock onto Sombra's magic and boom, I can make a tunnel!"

"Well.." Twilight Sparkle wondered if it was a good idea.

"Pleeeeease Twilight!" Pinkie Pie pouted. "It'd be just awful if I couldn’t throw a cutie mark party since he's the first Umbrum to GET one!"

"OK, OK!" Twilight Sparkle relented in light of Pinkie Pie's mopey expression.

Pinkie Pie roped her friends into helping her put together a party package. While she was doing that, Discord went to visit the Umbrums, as Sombra had asked he check in on them.

While the adults all cheered and danced about Sombra's new cutie mark, asking could Discord tell them about it when he got back, little Firefly was overjoyed. She wanted to go talk to the six ponies and ask if they would give a message to Fini!

But temptation got the better of the little scamp when she seen the unattended baskets and boxes. She wriggled into one and pulled the basket’s cover over her head. She heard voices approach, then felt a tingle of magic at the edge of her senses as Discord opened the portal.

Discord led them down the tunnel while all manner of odd things floated by. Rubber ducks, books, a MOOSE made of balloons.

Pinkie Pie was in love with the décor, and made a note to add making balloon mooses to her repertoire.

Mooses...meese? She wondered what the plural for moose should be?

As she was on the verge of asking, Discord opened another portal. "Here we are!" he said smugly. They’d appeared on the outskirts of the area, not far from where the train tracks ended.

Pinkie's tail twitched and she sped off like a rabbit on sugar, giggling all the while.

"I like her way of working," Discord decided.

"It’s Pinkie Pie. She's realities hiccup, I’m convinced..." Twilight Sparkle giggled all the same.

"Let's go find Sombra!" Applejack crowed, and they set off, laughing and talking as they kept an eye out for their friend.

Naturally, Pinkie Pie found him first.

He was walking around alongside Girder, who was dividing the supervision work between them. They’d finally found a task Sombra could do that didn’t involve manual labor, until his wing healed.

"SOMBRAAA!" A high pitched noise that vaguely resembled his name made Sombra's ears prick up, and he turned, mouth open to ask what the heck was THAT-?

When a blur of pink tackled him and knocked him on his back in the snow. When he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of wide blue eyes and crazy pink mane.

"Miss Pinkie Pie," he greeted her calmly.

"Hi hi!" She grinned, bounding back so he could sit up. "I found him!" she hollered back the way she came.

"Who in Equestria are YOU, Missy?" Girder asked. "and where did you come from?"

"I’m Pinkie Pie, and I came from over there!" She jabbed a hoof in the aforementioned direction "That's where the portal is!"

"Portal?" Girder asked.

Sombra blinked. "Wait, portal? Does that mean- ooph!"

He cut off as he was suddenly grabbed in a big bear hug from a Draconequus who was careful not to jostle Sombra's wing, having taken note of his previous letter.

His head spun as Discord set him down.

"Good...to see you Discord..." he coughed, laughing. Discord grinned, scratching behind Sombra's ear quickly, before stepping back so the others could approach.

"Princess!" Girder's jaw dropped as he spotted the purple Alicorn.

"Good day!" She beamed. "I do apologise for the sudden visit! We got the news about the cutie mark and we came to throw a party!"

"Party?" Sombra asked.

"Yep yep!" Pinkie Pie nodded. "You gotta have a cute-cinera party, silly!"

"A cutsie-whatta?" Sombra looked lost.

"A cute-cinera is a party to celebrate getting a cutie mark, silly Sombra!" Discord explained "Speaking of which, show us already!"

Sombra stared blankly at them a second, before realising what they were getting at. He took off his cloak so the ponies could see the new cutie mark.

"It's awesome!" Pinkie Pie whooped.

"Wow," Twilight Sparkle studied the Alicorn/crown motif. "It's amazing!"

"Nice work!" Discord nodded as he studied first the mark then its owners flushed-but-proud expression.

"It's wonderful news, darling!" Rarity smiled at Sombra. "your ponies are over the moon!"

Sombra smiled, he hoped they’d be able to discover their talents at their own pace as they made their own paths.

"I dropped in to see them," Discord said to Sombra. "they’re missing you, and hope your wing gets better!"

"Huh? What happened?" Rainbow Dash peered at Sombra's sides, spotting the bandaged wing. "good Celestia, what did you DO?"

"Picked a fight with an oversized territorial Timberwolf!" Sombra said after a pause. Rainbow Dash face-hoofed.

"Ya did what, sugarcube?" Applejack couldn’t believe her ears.

"Kicked its ass, pardon my language," Girder put in "saved a load of my ponies in the process."

"My goodness..." Fluttershy's eyes were wide.

"It's alright," Sombra assured her. "it appears to be healing well. The doctor is convinced the Infinitum form has express healing, as he mentioned this morning it’s progressed very rapidly."

"Yay!" the yellow pegasus looked relieved.

"PARTY TIME!" Pinkie Pie whooped. Discord snapped his fingers and the cart with all the party supplies appeared beside them.

Sombra cast a sidelong glance at Girder, as if to say "Uhh....?"

"I see no reason why not, Your Majesty. Getting a cutie mark is worth celebrating for sure!"

He told everypony to go on a break, and they all cheered. Bearing in mind they’d been headed to a big construction site, Pinkie Pie had bought a LOT of ingredients as well as some pre-made cakes from sugarcube corner!

"Uh, not to alarm you miss, but does your food usually MOVE?" Girder pointed a hoof at where one of the basket covers was twitching. Sombra lifted the basket with his magic, bringing it over to him and the others and lifting the cover.

A blur shot up, wrapping itself around his muzzle with its chubby little legs, big wide eyes almost crossed as they focused on his.

"FINI!" the blur declared.

Jaws dropped, Sombra's would have if not for the small child clinging to his face.

"Fwirefwy?" he mumbled incoherently. She giggled, then allowed herself to be peeled off his face and snuggled into the crook of his left foreleg, as she carefully held her.

"What in Celestia's mane are you doing here?" a startled Sombra asked.

"I wanted to see you, Fini!" she pouted.

"That's very nice little one, but does Excel know you're here?"

She looked guilty, then grinned sheepishly.

"Oh - " Sombra groaned "she's going to kill me."

"Whoops..." Applejack said "I didn’t realise we’d brought an extra guest!"

"She must have snuck into the basket while we were opening the portal!" Discord shook his head "easily remedied!"

He wrote out a quick letter, opened a portal and threw it in. "That'll get to them!"

While they waited, Girder and the other workers got their first glimpse at an Umbrum pony aside from Sombra.

"Aww, she’s adorable!" one mare cooed.

"Tiny little thing ain’t she?" one stallion smiled. "reminds me of my daughter."

Excel nearly fainted in relief when she got the letter. She wrote back, asking Discord to please bring the errant little pony back with him on his return, which Discord said was easy!

"Well, your ‘Excel’ isn’t mad. She knows firefly will be safe with her ‘Fini’." Discord told Sombra, who flushed, but looked relieved.

Firefly made sure to sneak a picture of Sombra's new cutie mark to take back with her, as well as a load of pictures of the half-built houses and the ponies working on them!

Pinkie Pie took over the kitchen and began baking cakes at an exponential rate. Twilight Sparkle and Discord helped with their magic, and Rarity set about decorating the somewhat plain room with flowers (fake ones that'd last the time), tablecloths and even a picture or two.

"Really, Rarity?" Applejack asked. Although she had to admit it was tasteful, not too overblown.

"Well, seemed like it needed cheering up!" Rarity beamed, before bounding off to fetch the cute-cinera decorations, a chuckling AJ not far behind.

They all congregated in the dining hall, making it pretty crowded. Thankfully the kitchen was in a separate building next door or Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have had much space to whoosh around in!

"OK everypony!" Pinkie Pie bounded out with the last of the trays, setting it down on the last bit of free table space "let the Cutie mark-y party begin!"

A massive cheer rang out and Pinkie Pie beamed up at Sombra, who returned her smile. He'd never had a party like this before...

Sombra found himself caught up between the six girls and keeping an eye on little Firefly. He hadn’t had much time to talk to Discord so far, which bothered him a little.

Thankfully he got his chance later on, midway through the crazy celebration. He volunteered to go next door to the kitchen to fetch the next tray of cakes. As he set the last oven tray down and looked around for the other trays to stack them on, one appeared hovering to his right side.

"Ah, thanks." He caught on who was holding it and smiled.

"She certainly knows how to throw a big party, that little pink ball of energy..." Discord burped modestly, making Sombra raise an eyebrow. "It's appreciation for the chef!" the Draconequus objected.

Sombra laughed, setting the tray down and starting on stacking the cakes. He set the last one down and went to get the second tray. Discord saw him wince as he set the final cake on the second tray.

"It's nothing," Sombra shook his head. "The wing's just hurting is all. If I’m lucky, it'll heal fast and I’ll be able to get back to work..."

"You seemed surprised about the cutie mark in your letter." Discord got straight to the point.

Sombra stared at the cakes a moment more, then finally looked up at him. He LOOKED genuinely baffled.

"I WAS. I hadn’t thought about cutie marks since I was a child! I'd long since accepted that since Umbrum had never had them, that I'D never have one. It seems this "Infinitum" position comes with the oddest ability to alter not just my form, but everypony's. Explains the whole immunity occurrence."

"So what changed your mind about cutie marks?" Discord asked, watching Sombra's expression.

The stallion frowned, staring down at the tiled kitchen floor, looking genuinely perplexed.

"Well, I’m not sure. It wasn’t even on my mind."

Discord floated upside down so he could see eye-to-eye with Sombra as he continued to peer at the floor, mind whirring away.

"So what was?" he asked. Sombra's ears dipped slightly, and he went slightly red.

"I let my concerns over my whole job get to me. I told the doctor about the wing incident as he was re-bandaging the broken one." he gestured to the still healing appendage.

"And?" Discord prodded, namely Sombra's nose, making the pony go cross-eyed for a moment.

"And it turned out the rest of the sleeping quarters occupants had finished dinner and come back in. They heard the whole story."

"Awkward, hmmm?" Discord guessed. He was starting to get dizzy from hovering upside down, but dismissed it for now. It was almost pleasant in a way...

"That’s it in a nutshell," Sombra blinked up at him at last. "Your face is going red. Are you OK?"

"Yes yes, just most of my blood relocating is all....hup!" Discord flipped himself the right way up, and nearly face-planted. Sombra's magic stopped an altercation between him and floor and set him upright.

"Aaand thank you kindly - " The Draconequus carried on " - now, how did a bunch of eavesdroppers lead to you getting a cutie mark? Were you letting your worry about how they view you get out of hand again?"

Sombra went red, right on cue. Glowering too.

"Gotcha," Discord grinned, tweaking the pony’s ears. "according to your mother I can read you like a book...a very silly one with.."

"...pictures and curse words?" Sombra finished, laughing softly.

"That’s the one!" Discord snickered.

"Yes.." Sombra sighed. "that’s exactly the case. Girder had spoken to me just that day about my trying to insist everypony NOT address me as royalty. It seemed that the Empire ponies most of all were concerned they’d be seen as disrespectful if they called me by name. I hadn’t realized it would bother them. I assumed having to refer to me with the same name they once feared would unsettle them."

"You mean ‘King Sombra’?" Discord said, seeing a subtle twitch flit across Sombra's body.

"Y-yes..." Sombra coughed, once again amazed at how blunt Discord could be. He envied him a little for that ease of speech.

"I'm still not sure how you and your fretting brought about a cutie mark?" Discord frowned. Sombra laughed very faintly.

"It - they caught me at my most vulnerable, something I always swore I'd avoid, lest it end up hurting me. But all they wanted to do was reassure me. They asked if they could have a moment to put forward some personal questions, and I let them." He sounded surprised yet proud by the fact he'd done it. It had been pretty overwhelming.

Discord didn't interrupt, just waited for Sombra to carry on.

"They asked for the tale behind the takeover, so I told it to them. All of it. They were startled to realise they’d probably run across me in my child form, but I’d been unrecognizable when I returned. When I finished explaining it all, many of them were...crying."

"Why?"

"I thought I’d scared them by telling such a depressing, bleak story. But before I could even get the words out fully, one stepped up and spoke for all of them, telling me to stop right there. They weren't crying from anger, or from fright of the tale. They were crying for events they’d never understood before. The reason WHY I became so vengeful and took over their home!"

His voice hitched, unheard by his own ears. "I didn’t understand, but they pretty much ordered me to stop carrying the guilt I’ve had for so long. I was afraid to, insisted I had to keep hold of it lest I make the same mistake, but they refused to accept that, stating they trusted it wouldn’t happen, they trusted me!" He smiled, still amazed by how different the reality had been from his own paranoid fears.

"Is this like that imaginary lynch mob you were on high alert for, when all the ponies wanted to do was talk to you?" Discord remembered something Sombra had brought up at the stadium.

Sombra nodded. He'd felt pretty silly when he'd finally realized.

"Hmmm?" Discord saw a slightly melancholy look in Sombra's eyes and tapped his nose to get his attention.

"Sorry." Sombra shook his head.

"Its nothing to worry about. Getting something that’s spent so much time on your mind, off of it, is always a little distracting. It's like giving up the habit of a lifetime. You’re going to feel lost for a bit. We’ve all been there. When I thought I’d lost Flutters for good after the Tirek incident, I was in much the same state. Imagine me moping about and getting weepy. There, now we're both guilty, feel any less silly yet?"

Sombra laughed, the gloom fading from his expression at the funny way Discord phrased it.

"So trust me, I know ALL about that bit! But I also know you’ll be the better for it once the storm passes!" Discord nodded.

"It was after that that the cutie mark came along," Sombra at last connected all these disjointed recollections. "When I realized everything you, my mother and even one of the guard had pointed out. I knew what I was doing, had done since becoming the Infinitum. I was just so caught up in making a good impression and not putting a hoof out of place, that I didn't realize they'd already made up their minds to trust me a second time. I was just running in circles and running myself into the ground in the process. Even Girder had seen right through my façade and insisted I relax and let the ponies address me as they wanted to."

"See? You’re doing grand." Discord scratched under the pony’s chin this time, making Sombra's expression shift to one of slightly blissed-out relaxation, before the pony gave him a reproachful look.

"Sorry, you ponies have funny little pressure points. I can’t help it!" Discord snickered. Sombra laughed, his expression brightening now that all that was off his chest.

"Bet you feel better now, hmmm?" Discord continued.

Sombra nodded, looking less embarrassed at dropping his guard with every time he managed to do it.

"Once you leave it behind, it won’t have the power to hurt you the same way. You should be able to focus on building relationships with the ponies around you. But by all accounts you've done well so far! Girder alone has enormous respect for you, seems he values a hard-working ethic, said it'll stand you in good stead once you officially take your throne. The doctor is amazed by what you've told him about your kind so far. He and Twilight Sparkle are thick as thieves out there! So I’d say alongside a cutie mark, you’ve another reason to be happy!"

Sombra looked at the cutie mark. "I guess the meaning of this is pretty clear, huh?"

"Crystal," Discord punned, grinning when Sombra rolled his eyes "Sorry. But yes, its very obvious. Like 'Tia and the others, you have the gifts of all three races, and the ability to understand each one as their monarch. If you ever needed further evidence being the Umbrum King is your destiny, it’s now tattooed on your side!"

Just then, the door to the kitchen was nudged open and Twilight Sparkle stuck her head in.

"There you two are!" she said in relief. "Pinkie Pie was convinced you’d gotten stuck in a time loop or a black hole, so I said I’d come find you."

"Whoopsies!" Discord hooted, then he and Sombra grabbed a tray of the cakes each and followed Twilight out the door.

"Pardon the delay, we were discussing the meaning behind the new cutie mark!" Discord said smoothly.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, smiling up at the pony bearing it. "Feel like you’re ready?"

“A lot more than the last time," Sombra answered. "A bit at a time I feel."

Twilight Sparkle understood. She'd taken a while to get used to being a princess. It was all so new when it finally sunk in, and she’d been scared stiff a few times of goofing it up!

"Oh!" Sombra looked up at Discord. "I forgot to ask...did you REALLY put a whoopee cushion on Celestia's throne?"

"Certainly did!" Discord snickered. "seeing a prissy Princess poot, albeit accidentally via cushion, was well worth the ire afterwards!"

Twilight Sparkle shook her head in despair.

"Luna laughed her backside off!” Discord sniggered. "from the look on Celestia's face, she couldn’t decide whether to strangle me or tell her sister to stop laughing! Lucky for me, Luna's giggles were closer to her..."

Sombra had to chuckle, it WAS funny. He'd enjoyed Discord's pranks when he'd been feeling low back in the earlier days.

"There you are!!" Pinkie Pie bounced over as the trio entered the canteen. "What were you guys DOING in there?"

"Nothing!" Discord declared, pretending to look suspicious. Including wearing a fake moustache and glasses with comedy nose attached.

"Sorry about the delay," Sombra said to the pink pony, shaking his head at Discord's antics. "we ended up having a lengthy discussion and forgot about the time."

"Ah, a good old chin-wag of a natter? Gotcha!" Pinkie Pie grinned, then zoomed off again.

"Does she stop?" Sombra asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Not that I’ve seen." Twilight Sparkle giggled "she’s permanently on maximum energy mode."

"Well, let’s get eating!" Discord nudged Sombra in the direction of the table "cake ahoy!"

Firefly started yawning, being tuckered out by the party’s end. She stayed awake long enough to hug her Fini once more, then curled up in one of the baskets, whereupon Rarity wrapped her up in the blanket that'd been covering it.

"Wed better get back." Applejack said reluctantly, as the party wound down.

Although sad to see them go, Sombra knew there was work to do before day’s end.

"Its been wonderful to see you all," Sombra smiled as they all stood outside, with Discord preparing to open the portal. "and thank you for the party, I haven’t experienced anything like that since my early years."

"Well I’m always having parties, just give me a reason and I'll give you a party!" Pinkie Pie vowed.

The others all promised to visit again, and they looked forward to hearing about the kingdom's progress as it came together!

One by one they hopped into the portal, Twilight Sparkle carrying a basket containing a fast asleep Firefly.

Before he dove in after them, Discord gave Sombra one last lung-crushing bear hug, patted him on the head and shot off cackling gleefully. Sombra laughed as the portal closed.

"He's totally loopy!" he sniggered. But the Draconequus DID make him laugh more than anything else. He was comprised of 90% nonsense, it seemed.

That night Sombra fell asleep in an instant, wishing his wing would heal already so he'd be back to work soon.

In the dark of the sleeping area, a small spark darted over the bandaged wing, followed by several more that sank into the bandages. Sombra shifted in his sleep, but didn't stir.

He woke up the next morning feeling better, surprised to discover it didn’t feel as sore and achy as yesterday. Deciding another round of painkillers was unnecessary, he set off outside so he could help Girder with the supervisory duties.

He was sent to keep an eye on the team building the latest set of houses. He'd been on a little tour of the first completed ones, and couldn’t express enough delight at how wonderful they were. He'd trotted through the high ceilinged rooms, seeing the faithfully recreated style Lady Umbra had described to him, along with the images Excel had sent over.

Girder had been extremely pleased, delighted to see the King was satisfied with the work.

Sombra glanced over at the finished homes once more, feeling a nudge of pride at his heart. Soon his ponies would fill these houses, decorate them, their laughter filling the halls and rooms. He could hardly wait.

"We're finished, your Highness!" a pony’s voice caught his ear and he turned, seeing three of them peering at him.

"Ah, sorry. I was miles away, just admiring the work you've all been doing!" Sombra gestured to the houses. The ponies beamed, relieved he hadn’t been spacing out because of his title any more.

"You should be just as proud yourself, Sire," another pointed out. "you helped us lay the foundations for many of them!"

"Yeah, and the brickwork!" another added.

Sombra remembered that day, when he'd realized how hard it was to clean grout and bits of cement off yourself! The lessons on how to do it though had been the most entertaining part, with Girder saying he'd have a career in construction if he ever got bored of being a King!

It was a windy day, and Sombra wore Rainbow Dash's goggles atop his head, keeping his mane free. He remembered the pony attached to the gift and wondered how she was doing.

"Right," he said, shifting his attention to the clipboard in front of him. As he scanned over it, the wing wrapped in supports began to itch. He made an annoyed grunting sound, gnawing lightly at it with his sharp teeth, uttering a muffled, annoyed growl as he did so.

"It’s nothing," he smiled, straightening up when he seen several curious looks being sent his way "seems the feathery whatsits don't like being cooped up, even more so than last time! The itching is driving me batty!"

He handed out the group’s next assignments, requesting them to take a break before doing any more work. As they filed away, chattering, he looked around for something he could do. Ah, there! He spotted some pipes he could move closer to the place they were needed, and focused his magic...

The pipes made it over to the spot before he suddenly felt his magic sputter and cut off. He gave a cry, the pipes clanging to the ground as the world pitched alarmingly. He braced his legs, breath catching in his throat.

"Sire! Are you alright?" a concerned junior foreman came running over, two of his own team in pursuit.

"I..." Sombra felt dizzy, but it was gradually wearing off.

"I'll fetch the doctor!" Another said, making to run off, but Sombra shook his head.

"It's alright, I'm sure it is nothing to bother him over. My magic just seems depleted today. I’m unsure why. I'm OK now, truly."

"You still should go see the Doc," the junior foreman said worriedly. “just in case, your Majesty.”

Sombra shook his head, but the foreman was concerned the King would fall ill. Like Girder, he considered it his responsibility as a junior foreman to look after the royal pony. Sombra was an excellent worker, but it’d been noted he sometimes OVERWORKED himself.

At last Sombra agreed to pop in and see the doctor.

"Alright. If the team returns, could you let them know I’m taking a quick break? I don’t want to alarm them," Sombra asked. The junior foreman nodded, then the King turned and trotted away.

"He’s pushing himself pretty hard on this whole thing. I know he's tough as nails, but he needs to care for himself more." the junior foreman mused. The other two nodded.

The doctor looked up as Sombra trotted into the clinic.

"Your Highness!" The medic gave a bow. "Is everything alright?"

“Yes and no." Sombra gave a dry laugh. "I had a bit of a glitch with my magic. It cut off suddenly, and the next thing I know I’m feeling dizzy."

"Oh my," the doctor frowned. "well, I'll give you a check-up, see if anything is wrong physically. Sit yourself down there," he indicated a nearby chair, and the Alicorn happily took the weight off his hooves for a bit.

The doctor noted Sombra's heartbeat was a bit erratic, but that was likely due to the dizzy fit. He sounded fine otherwise, showed no signs of raised temperature of sickness.

"Well you're fit as a fiddle your majesty - "

"But the shape of a cello!" Sombra put in, making the doctor do a double-take and snort with laughter.

" - and I cannot see anything wrong, least of all your weight." The doctor shook his head "The workers sense of humour is clearly a big influence on your Majesty. That's the first time I’ve heard you make such a ludicrous joke!"

"Sorry, I regret that I could not stop myself," Sombra chuckled apologetically.

"While you're here, I’ll check that wing of yours."

“Please do," Sombra said in relief. "it has been itching all morning!"

"Does that explain the teeth marks in the bandages?" the doctor asked. Sombra grinned sheepishly.

"Normally such discomfort is a sure sign of healing." the doctor added, as he carefully unwound the bandages.

He very gently ran his hooves over the wing, but noted no wincing or sounds of pain from the King.

"Is it hurting at all, your Majesty?" he asked. Sombra shook his head.

"One moment..." The doctor trotted away and returned with an unusual machine. It resembled two panes of black glass held apart by brackets. Woven into the glass were spell markings. He put on a set of goggles, and motioned Sombra to lower the specially tinted ones Rainbow had given him.

The device was powered by a small crystal that unicorn magic routinely recharged. The doctor pressed a button on it, and it emitted a flash of very bright light.

He freed Sombra's wing from the box's hold, and held up the box, studying the picture temporarily burnt into it showing the bone structure inside the wing.

"What it is?" Sombra asked. The doc set it down, turning to his baffled patient with a raised eyebrow.

"You’re not going to believe it, your Highness, but it’s HEALED. Fully."

"Seriously?" Sombra stared at the partly uncurled wing.

"Extend it out to full size, your Highness." The Doctor said. Sombra did as instructed, feeling only minor cramp pains, as the wings stretched for the first time in days.

He gave it a light flap, but there was no pain.

"How..?" he asked.

"I think we’ve solved the mystery of where your magic went!" The Doctor studied Sombra in amazement. "Somehow you diverted it to repairing your wing. That’s the only explanation that makes sense."

“Well, after the fun of yesterday’s party, I did sincerely wish it would get better so I could resume helping with the construction work," Sombra said in bewilderment. "Is this the ability of the Infinitum form? It’s more than a coincidence now. First my wings healed in days after that spell backfired, now this!"

"It seems you have a control over your magic many unicorns would envy!" The doctor looked around for his notebook and began writing this all down. After several seconds studious scribbling, he realised Sombra was out of his chair and peering at the notebook. He realized he hadn’t gotten round to actually ASKING the King about a certain idea he had.

He shut the book and hid it behind his back before realizing: a) rude and b) pointless. The King had already seen it.

But Sombra just smiled gently.

"Whatever it is, I will not berate you for it. You mentioned before your desire to study the Umbrum physiology and capabilities. If you recall, I said I didn’t mind at all and I don’t bite. The fangs are just for show."

The Doctor flushed, it was true his Highness had told him that. So he decided to finally ask the King the favor he'd been sitting on for days!

"Well, I have a request, your Majesty. I would like to write a paper for the medical journals. Studying an entirely new species is an honour for someone in my profession..."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Sombra blinked. "I see no problem with that whatsoever. I'd be honoured to help you. Even I lack total knowledge about my kind, so anything new that can be learned would be beneficial to myself and my ponies."

"Your highness - ! Thank you!" The doctor gave a grateful bow, sighing in relief.

He showed the book to Sombra now, and the royal pony saw how he'd drawn rough diagrams of the Alicorn's wingspan, guessing at the measurements. Sombra suggested he get accurate numbers since he was here now, and patiently sat there while the doctor measured his wings, making notes all the while.

"Fascinating wingspan. It's very broad. I'd liken it to Princess Celestia's!" He looked happily absorbed in his work and Sombra was reluctant to break his concentration, asking if he was fit to go back to work.

"Everything checks out just fine, your Highness. You’re good to go. Just take care is all I can suggest."

Sombra nodded, before trotting happily out the door.

"Astounding," the Doctor shook his head.

Girder turned from talking to Sombra's group, as he heard the stallion’s voice.

"Your Highn - " he cut off as he spotted Sombra had BOTH wings raised.

"Its fixed!" Sombra looked immensely pleased. "The Doctor realised why I got dizzy. Why my magic was so depleted. Seems it diverted to finishing fixing my wing overnight!"

Jaws dropped collectively.

"Well, your Highness, that’s fantastic news!" Girder said at last. "does this mean I’m free to hijack you for good old manual labor?"

"All the doctor said was to take care, works is a go!" Sombra grinned. It was a relief to finally be free of the bandage’s restraints.

"Well for today, continue as instructed, tomorrow we'll have you back on one of the crews!" Girder wrote some notes on his clipboard.

Sombra nodded, resuming command of the group he was overseeing. They noticed his spirits seemed lifted with the return of his wings to full function.

That night, once dinner had been scarfed, Sombra sat in his little sectioned-off sleeping area going through the wing therapy exercises once more, easing out the stiffness in his wing joints.

He was up before the bell rang in the morning, sneaking past the rows of snoozing ponies and outside.

He set the goggles atop his head, staring up at the cloudy grey sky as he spread his wings. His cloak billowed around him as he took off, feeling the air beneath his wings once more. He felt an intense relief, realising his days of hiding the things were likely over. He liked being able to fly. It let him feel free...

He saw the skeletons of the houses below and couldn’t resist giving himself a test. He didn’t hear the wake up bell clanging as he zoomed down...

His focus narrowed as he shot between the support beams and foundation struts. He tucked his wings in then snapped them out again in rapid movements, weaving between the gap. He even pulled off a barrel roll.

Clearing the last frame he shot back up, wings fanning out and holding him there a moment, before he angled towards the ground, never slowing down. Heart pounding in exhilaration, he landed on the ground, executing a precise turn and stopping so he was facing the pathway towards the canteen.

Applause suddenly shattered the silence of the morning and he jumped a mile, wings going POMF! Wide-eyed, he took in the small crowd that was lining the street.

--Ah, I clearly underestimated how much time I had.-- he coughed awkwardly, realizing he'd just been caught showing off. But he grinned nonetheless and did a silly bow to the crowd, which made them laugh!

"Impressive display, your Majesty!" Girder had to chuckle at Sombra's reaction. He was easing off the formal attitude, actually developing a sense of humour it would seem.

"I thought it prudent to check that the wings were functioning. I guess I got carried away." Sombra coughed, lowering them to his sides.

"Nothing to worry about, your Highness!" Girder nodded at the fluffy grey wings. "ready to get stuck in to work?"

A smile and a nod from the fully recovered King.

Girder gave him his orders, and Sombra happily trotted away to join the work crew he'd been placed with. He was careful to take care now, not wanting to get hurt again.

It was another day of fun involving cement, hard work and the learning of several new rude jokes courtesy of his co-workers. The boots Applejack had made him came in doubly handy as he stepped carefully around the busy build spot.

As he leant down to check the latest section of wall, his mane fell into his face again, the goggles not enough to keep it back. Glancing about, he spotted a section of torn tarp, snagged it and used it as a makeshift hair tie, pinning his ever-shifting ebony black mane back in a ponytail.

He made for an interesting sight. Wearing work boots with his fancy mane tied back, he resembled any other hard-working pony, but the considerable wingspan and polite manner of speaking gave away his royal status, although as the doctor had mentioned, the workers were influencing the curious King, teaching him an entire litany of euphemisms, slang and odd phrases.

The cramped muscles and long, deep sleep returned as soon as the work did, and Sombra soon settled back into his routine, pushing himself to do more work than ever before with each passing day. It made him smile every time he looked over at the first finished houses, which he'd described in his letters to his friends and the Umbrum.

--Soon, this will be their - no OUR home.-- he turned back to his task, humming softly.

The next morning there was a new letter waiting for him, and his eyebrows raised as he read the contents. Excel was coming to see him before the royal visit? Her letter detailed she'd be coming in on the supply train much as he had done, and she'd be bringing his crown with her!

He was distracted from the letter as he heard the bell clanging to signal breakfast and raced outside, the chill of the morning air waking him up sharpish.

He mentioned to Girder about the latest letter, and the head foreman said they’d have time to discuss it after the shift was over, which suited Sombra fine.

Sombra hadn’t been back to the cave since that awful day, since the fight with the mutated Timberwolf. He didn’t expect to either, but fate had a funny way of messing things about for the King.

While Sombra was up to his flank in cement, steel beams and various other heavy duty tasks, one lone worker was finishing up a check on the latest cave tunnel. So far, so good.

He'd sent the rest of his team home, resolving to just make a few more notes, then he'd go himself. But as he was preparing to leave, he heard something. A faint humming. Pricking his ears, he crept closer, ducking under the tape strung across the tunnel, fixated on the noise.

What the supervisor pony found was a shard of pinkish crystal shining very faintly. He didn’t feel the cave rumble softly around him as he reached out to it. As soon as he touched it, a pulse of power spread out, making the walls shake.

Snapping out of his daze, the worker turned to run, but was instead knocked back as he bumped into a chunk of rock, disturbed by the pulse. More followed, and he back-pedalled frantically, getting away from the cave in as fast as possible. One struck his left hind leg, pinning him there.

As the dust settled, his vision swam and he collapsed, too dizzy to cry out.

Thus he heard nothing when his team checked the caves later on, bellowing his name even as he lay trapped in both rock and sleep.

After a period of time lost in a haze of darkness and shadows in his sleep, he came to, only to realize what had happened. His heart sank as he realized he was trapped. He tried to shout, but got the feeling it was useless. How much time had passed?

His eye was once again drawn to the crystal and he picked it up, cradling it fearfully. He tried yelling again, having found a fissure in the cave wall. But would anypony hear him?

Sombra trotted back towards the canteen, satisfied he'd finished enough tasks for the day when he saw a bunch of workers huddling together, exchanging urgent glances and anxious whispers.

"We gotta go check.."

"He can’t still be out there. Maybe this is like one of those slapstick plays where we just keep missing seeing him?!"

"It's going to get dark soon, and the snows really picking up, what if he - "

"Is everything alright?" Sombra chanced asking. They looked round, and upon seeing the concerned King, they knew this was a good pony to ask for help from.

"Your highness we - we can’t find our supervisor. His name’s Alan Key. He was supposed to be right behind us, but he hasn't come back."

Sombra frowned "Where was he last seen?"

"He was in the caves. the pony winced as he said it, recalling how Sombra had reacted after being near the cave last time. True enough, the King went a few shades paler, looking unsettled for a moment, before he shook his head slightly, gaze sharpening as he tried to think what could’ve happened.

"Let's find Girder," he said at last. "there can’t be many places he could go."

"We checked the cave, he's not in there. The place is silent as the grave."

Sombra frowned. "I can think of no good reason why he'd wander outside of the borders. From the brief time I spent lost out there after the fight, it's naught but a big, empty expanse."

Girder was very concerned to hear one of his men had gone missing. He split them all up into search teams and the workforce spread out to look for him.

Sombra took to the skies, using his magic to generate a brilliant red light around his horn to guide the others as he flew through the snow. But no matter how many times he combed the area bordering the site, there was no sign of the missing pony. Concern gnawed at his gut. Where could he BE?

"Its getting late." Girder looked up at Sombra as he touched down, hearing the concern in the King's voice.

"Alright, we’ve got snow coming in, so we'll need everypony together. We'll do a search spreading out from the borders in a circle." Girder looked through supplies. "only problem we have is we haven't got many of those flares left."

Sombra frowned, then had an idea. "Of course! Beacons!"

He took in the baffled expressions and closed his eyes. The ground at his feet bubbled, then a dusky grey crystal formed. The crystal ponies tilted their heads curiously, recognizing these crystals. Sombra wasn't done however, as the crystal turned from grey to red, emitting a faint light.

As Girder opened his mouth to ask what this had to do with the search and rescue, Sombra finished the spell. The crystal shot out a big beam of glaring red light that extended far up into the sky.

"I can set up more of these. They'll stay on for as long as I fuel them." Sombra explained.

There was silence, then one of the junior foreman asked. "how many could you create, your Majesty?"

"Quite a few," Sombra smiled. "My magic has more than fully recovered itself."

They poured over a map, the other ponies watching as Sombra listened to what Girder was saying, then nodded.

Sombra unfolded his wings, stretching them out before taking off into the sky. He flew up enough until he could see the big layout to the still growing empire. He closed his eyes, magic surrounding him in a swirling ball, then it dispersed in dozens of bright flares. They hit the outskirts and shot directly outwards, placing every set distance in straight lines off into the distance. The first one he'd created flashed, and a line of light ran from it in every direction to connect to the others.

"Well, that solves THAT then," Somepony remarked as Sombra flapped his wings and descended back down to earth.

"How will they stay on?" Somepony asked.

I've linked them all to this main one," Sombra explained. "And that in turn is feeding from my magic."

Girder analyzed all this and spoke. "In that case, I ask you remain here, Sire. If those beacons go out in this weather and you're out there with us..."

Sombra nodded. "We'll all be stuck. Very well, I will remain here."

"Thank you, your Highness. I hope we will find him fast."

Sombra had one more idea. He created a set of scrolls which had spells linking to them so a message written on one appeared on the others. These were given to the heads of the different teams. The master scroll remained with him, so he would receive all updates and be able to respond if needed.

Sombra sat down on the snowy pavement, watching everypony else be swallowed up by the snow as they left the outer edges of the fledgling empire.

He paced back and forth, somewhat regretting his agreeing to stay with the crystals. Although the beacons undeniably helped protect those out there, he felt so USELESS just pacing about or sitting on his backside.

He'd worn a set of deep tracks into the snow, when a line on the master scroll he held said "Heard a voice."

"Any luck?" he sent back. Had they...?

Another painful wait elapsed then, "Afraid not ‘Sire, we've found no sign of him."

Sombra looked up at the sky. Soon the sun would set and then they'd be in trouble.

He growled worriedly, pacing again. Something was gnawing at his mind. They'd heard a voice? But no sign of a body?

He re-read what the messages said, tracing the communiqué back to an area not far from that cave the Timberwolf had resided in, but that didn't help him any.

"How come they did not find any sign of him?" he mused. They had heard the sound.

His ears pricked as he thought he heard something himself, only to realise it was just the wind howling round the buildings. His mind was playing tricks on him. He sighed, shoulders slumping in disappointment. Then it hit him.

What if....?

They'd heard a voice, but not found the missing stallion. What if he was trapped somewhere with a gap to allow sound through? Like the crevasse in the cave where Scorpan had held him. He shuddered uneasily, but pushed it aside.

He ran off, mind going a dozen miles an hour. He reached the part of the growing town that led towards the cave.

What if they’d heard a voice that seemed to come from outside, and the pony was trapped inside?

"Did anypony check the caves?" he sent the message and waited.

"Yes ‘Sire, we went there first. When he didn't come back, we went and checked. It's empty."

He hesitated, wondering if he was imagining things himself. He prepared to write a message back saying he was sure the caves needed a second check and could somepony return? Ideally from the ARSE (Attack and Recon Search Effort) teams. But a sharp gust of wind tore the paper from his magic's hold, and near tore the breath from his lungs, such was its strength. Sombra coughed, getting his breath back, but the scroll was a goner.

"Oh, buck me," he said softly.

He trotted onwards, seeing the cave up ahead. His chest tightened, fear gripping his heart like a vice.

His wings fluffed up, trying to wrap themselves around him. Guided by his subconscious, they desperately sought to comfort him, stop him going any further in.

"If he's in there," Sombra whispered "I can’t just run!"

The wings re-tightened their grip around him, making it hard to breath through the feathers as they acted on his internal fears, trying to block his sight so he couldn’t move further.

--An innocent life is at stake. Even if I COULD fly out and find them, what if they're too far away now?--

Without the scroll and its spell, he was cut off. He couldn’t wait.

"Stop that!" He ordered the wings, some strength returning to his voice. They shivered, before finally obeying his order to fold back down. Once they did he felt like he was able to breathe a little easier. He took a step towards the cave, unable to stop himself from looking up as the entrance loomed over him. His pulse pounded so loudly in his ears he was afraid he'd gone deaf.

Every bit of him screamed objections as he tried to lift a single hoof. His ears flattened back against his head. He was feeling faintly sick.

"Had enough?" Scorpan's voice seared Sombra's ears as he lay curled up on the cold, damp ground. His chest was bruised from the latest attack. He'd once more refused to willingly give his magic to Scorpan, so the gargoyle had taken to aiming for his ribcage this time.

"Nobody’s going to save you, you know that!" Scorpan laughed at the captive pony. "The princesses would sooner see you dead and that empire you tried to overtake will not tolerate your existence. Face it, your only choice is to surrender to ME. Give me your magic, and I can make this pain end!"

For one brief moment Sombra wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could bid this misery goodbye. But deep at heart, he knew Scorpan's actions were much like his own. He was prepared to do anything to get what he wanted. Promises and threats went hoof-in-hoof with each other.

A long forgotten spark of decency had been born amidst the torture, and each attack only stoked the tiny spark into becoming a flame. It grew a little as Sombra regarded the insane jailer in front of him.

"You..." He rasped "can go buck yourself!"

Scorpan's fractured smile gave way to a snarl of hate, and his clawed hands locked around the pony’s neck once more. Sombra struggled, but Scorpan dragged things one step further by lifting the pony off the ground just enough so that his hind legs (hind LEG, if you ignored the badly broken one), just touched the ground enough to support his weight. If he struggled, he'd injure himself even more.

Sombra pawed frantically at the arms holding him, Scorpan's laughter echoing in his ears as he struggled to breathe.

Just as he was about to black out, Scorpan dropped him. He laughed as he watched Sombra curl up as best as the chains would allow him. The pony's pained coughing muffled somewhat, as his breathed in enough to make the room stop spinning.

"I look forward to making those princesses pay for what they did to my brother.." he laughed, grabbing the chain linked to Sombra's neck collar, and tugging it so the pony had no choice but to meet his eyes. "You’re a practice dummy for what I’ll do to THEM. You’re a pony, thus you deserve to suffer. Umbrum means nothing to me, save for freedom for my brother!"

Sombra stayed silent, meeting Scorpan's gaze defiantly, even as his tormentor raised the all-too-familiar amulet, and the sensation of magic being stripped from his body began once again..

When the gut wrenching pain faded to bearable levels, he was allowed to crumple to the floor.

"You’re a monster," Scorpan laughed. "There's nopony out there to save you. The sooner you give up this fragile hope, the better you’ll feel." he laughed mockingly as his footsteps faded away down the corridor…

--NO!-- Sombra yelled at himself, shaking his head -- that's all past now. Scorpan is gone. The scars are gone, at least on the outside. I'm not alone. --

He took deep breaths as he set the first hoof inside the cave’s entrance. He refused to listen to his panic, just taking one step after another until he was inside, the pitch darkness flowing around him.

He lit his horn up as bright as he could, the bright purple light throwing the walls into sharp detail, shadows flickering over the uneven walls and ground as he trekked onwards.

At last he reached that cave room where he'd bolted from originally. His light flickered over the piles of pickaxes, and his head pounded. He forced another deep breath and closed his eyes, listening for something, anything!

"HELLO?" He tried yelling next, his naturally deep voice creating a massive echo. "ANYPONY HERE?"

He waited, holding his breath, hopes sinking. His mind screamed at him to vacate; the rock seemed to press in on him. His coat was starting to dampen with an uneasy sweat, and a cold draft of air made him shiver.

There. It was faint, but he heard a dry, hoarse voice just off the edge of his senses.

But he could hear which way it was coming from and that was more than he'd had before! He set off down the tunnel, focusing on finding this pony, battling the sense of the cave pressing in on him, of memories regarding Scorpan. Heavy footsteps pounding down halls much like these, flickering candlelight his only comfort in the stretches between interrogations.

"Hay?" he called. He heard it again, closer now.

The trapped stallion, Alan Key, lifted his head as he heard a faint voice echoing round the caves. He pressed as close as he could to a gap in the collapsed rubble, shouting as loud as his strained throat would allow. He waited, straining to hear anything. Then the voice called again, closer this time. Relieved, he shouted back, and heard hoofsteps approaching.

"Oh thank Celestia!" he nearly cried as he heard the pony come to a halt on the other side of the collapse. "you have to get me out!"

"Don't worry, I will find a way to do so," the voice said calmly, although with a slight hitch in it, as if the owner was nervous.

Alan Key blinked, he was sure he recognised that voice. "Are you - ?"

"This is Sombra, yes.." the voice confirmed.

"How did you find me, your Highness?" Alan Key was from Princess Twilight's home of Ponyville, and had volunteered for the job after hearing the tale. He'd been a bit wary of Sombra when he realised the pony had joined the workforce, but he'd soon begun to respect him for the hard work he was putting in.

As the days had passed, he realised Sombra was really trying to put his past behind him, and build a new home for his race. When he wasn’t working, the King was often up to his eyeballs in books and drawings about his species former home, copying images for sculptors and builders to work from, ironing out any confusion, suggesting alternate ideas when some proved too difficult.

So Key had figured he'd let bygones be bygones, and had taken an opportunity to thank Sombra one day, after the pony stayed late to help him finish the task at hoof. Sombra had smiled happily, seeming pleased he'd been able to help. He still LOOKED fierce, but there was a kinder, more friendly edge to it now.

Bar that, he hadn’t spoken to him much. Sombra's strength and work drive were in high demand and the pony was often busy racing from one spot to the next.

"It is a long story, but I realized the voice the others heard outside in the process of their search could have come from in here, through cracks in the outer wall, since they were unable to locate your position - "

"Well I’m mighty glad you did, your Highness..." Alan Key sighed. "but how are you going to move the rubble? Without support, the ceiling could collapse even further."

Sombra sat down and frowned, puzzling it over.

"Support..." he muttered, then an idea struck him. What if if he used the Umbrum magic to create that crystal he'd used to build the throne during the parade? It was strong, and he could brace the walls as he removed the rocks. He informed Alan of this, who had to admit he was impressed.

"Sounds legit, your majesty, I - "

Alan Key looked up as the crack in the ceiling he'd been eyeing since waking up inched ever further inwards. "Please hurry!"

"Stay calm, I will be as fast as I can." Sombra assured him. He lifted the first hunk of rock, magic at the ready. He began fusing the top of the cave to the uppermost rubble, moving from the top to the sides. From there he centred on creating a hole in the rubble big enough to fit a pony through.

He could hear the trapped pony starting to panic, hear him pacing about.

"Your highness, the ceiling - "

I know." Sombra closed his eyes, increasing the radius of the support crystal. Alan Key relaxed a little as he seen the spell catch up with the crack in the ceiling.

"That’s great," he said shakily, trying to keep calm. "it's slowed for now."

"Alright." Sombra's voice was a little louder now, as more rubble shifted. "Pardon me for being intrusive, but where are you from? Your accent reminds me of somepony."

“I'm from Ponyville, your Highness." Key got the feeling Sombra was trying to distract him so he wouldn't panic and was grateful for the ruse.

"Ah, Ponyville! Princess Twilight Sparkle's home. She has told me much about it. I hope at some point in the future I may get to visit it..."

"Its a lovely place. I think you'd like it there!"

“If I do not startle the residents?" Sombra chuckled absently.

"Nah, the newspapers plus the Princess' meetings in town hall have made the whole story pretty clear. Plus I heard the whole story from yourself that evening in the sleeping quarters."

"Ah yes," Sombra smiled faintly to himself. "it felt somewhat liberating to finally speak of such matters."

Alan thought he sounded sad, yet relieved, and was reminded of how Sombra had been tormenting himself as punishment all this time.

"We appreciate your honesty, your Highness. The mark of a good pony, I believe, when you can trust others with the worst of yourself."

This made Sombra think, then smile a little. "That’s good to know," he said gratefully.

The next bit of rock he shifted revealed a small hole. Alan Key ran over, putting his face up to it, the fresher air from the cave a welcome relief. The glow from Sombra's magic lit the dark around him, letting him see at last.

"Just a little more." Sombra promised. Alan Key nodded, moving back as Sombra dislodged a few more rocks, propping the exit up with slender pillars of crystal. At last Alan estimated it was big enough for him to fit through.

"Stop there, your Highness," he instructed "that'll be enough."

Sombra nodded, feeding one hoof through to help pull the pony up. Once he had enough grip, a shaken, scratched and exhausted stallion at last escaped his prison. Sombra helped him sit, asking if he was hurt.

"A few knocks and bruises, my left hind leg hurts..."

Sombra peered at it in the diffuse purple light. "I don't know any first aid," he apologized. "but we'll get you right to the doctor's."

He saw Alan Key was shivering and removed his cloak, wrapping it around him.

"Can you walk?" he asked Alan Key next. The pony did TRY, but shock and an injured leg meant he couldn't hobble very far.

"Ah-! I'm sorry your highness..."

“No reason to worry. We're getting out of here right this second. Climb up."

As Sombra spoke, he sat down, wings lowered. Alan Key realised the stallion was indicating he'd carry him. He was too shaken and hurt to object, or even ask if his weight would be a bother to the bigger pony. So he did as instructed, setting himself atop the King’s back. The big fluffy wings folded up at an angle that they overlapped each other in a loose x shape, both keeping him warm and stopping him from falling.

Sombra got to his hooves and started walking down the cave tunnel, the purple light showing the way back.

Snug and warm, Alan Key drowsily admired the massive wings. They were very soft. Compared to how cold that cave had been, this was bliss. He noticed though, that Sombra's ears were flattened down, shivering a little. His coat was damp and cold to the touch, as he found out when he experimentally poked the back of the stallion’s neck. This made Sombra stop and peer round at him, perplexed.

"Are you OK, your Highness?" Alan asked.

"Y-yes, of course, I’m fine." Sombra lied, but there was no denying he wanted out of this cave ASAP. The whole time he'd been working on freeing the pony, his heart had been pounding painfully rapidly, as every sound seemed amplified and the chill of the cold cave crept into his bones, like it had before.

"Wait." A titbit of information returned to Alan Key’s memory. "your Majesty, wasn’t a cave - ?"

"I am not fond of them, no." Sombra swallowed the unease, turning to face forward again. "a worse prison I could not imagine."

Those shaky words cemented Alan Key’s assumptions. Sombra was scared of the cave because of the way he'd been held prisoner, wasn’t he?

"We'll get out of here, and this will be over..." Sombra forced out, speaking for both of them in a way.

As he was about to say something to Sombra, Key’s ears pricked up. He heard something and whispered Sombra to stop.

"What is it?" Sombra asked.

The fracture, I think it's spreading. Your Highness, RUN!"

Sombra took off, the wings keeping his passenger in place. they shot past the various signs as Sombra picked up speed. They pelted out into the main cavern as the collapse hit the ground behind them, and only then did they stop and look back. It mercifully came to a halt there, leaving the silence ringing around them.

"I think we're clear." Alan Key felt his head spin with relief as they stood there.

Sombra nodded, but as he turned to carry on, his hoof disturbed a stack of equipment, causing several loud clangs to ricochet around the cave. This sound was matched in volume by his own panicked cry as he stumbled backwards. His heart pounded and he struggled to steady his breathing.

Lying atop his back, Alan Key could feel the panic hitting the King's body, making the wings shiver. He felt every well-toned muscle in the stallion's body go tense, almost painfully so. It hit him how scared Sombra had to be, yet he'd come in here to rescue him.

"I'm OK," Sombra said shakily as his passenger asked after him. "I-it's nothing. Let's go!"

He all but bolted for the outside where at last the cold air and rapidly darkening sky met them.

"Its getting dark!" Alan Key panicked.

"No worries..." Sombra fixed on the beacons. "We'll get there!"

Eager to leave the cave behind, he took off running. Alan Key clung on as tightly as he could. Tucked under one foreleg was the crystal. He hadn't been able to leave it behind.

Sombra raced through the snow, eyes fixed on the beacons he'd sent up. Soon the outskirts were in sight. Sombra headed for the centre of town, where he could see Girder and many others.

Girder turned as he heard a familiar voice. He seen Sombra pelting towards him, before coming to a skidding halt.

"Your Highness - " he cut off as he realized who Sombra was carrying. "Oh thank Celestia - "

Alan Key's friends gathered around, looking relieved to the point of tears to see him alive.

"Bring him to the canteen right away! Somepony go set the fire!" Girder ordered. Sombra ran for the canteen, the others in tow.

The doctor met them there carrying blankets and any equipment he needed.

He helped the patient stumble down from Sombra's back and sat him down by the fire, keeping the King's cloak wrapped around him. Sombra stood, wings folding to his side, stepping back to allow the rescued pony’s friends gather around.

His ears were ringing, and he felt a bit dizzy. He slipped out amidst the fuss, feeling rather strange.

He drifted between the half-constructed buildings, head still in a fog.

Flashbacks of the two caves, the one from the nightmare past and the one he'd just ventured into melded together, and he imagined he felt the spectre of Scorpan looming over him -

He longed for warmth. the cold of the stone floor hurt his battered body. His cloak was torn and bloodied, sticking painfully to the cuts on his flank and sides, remnants of angry, lashing claws.

He longed deep down, for a warm, kind touch. Even just a gentle hoof. But..wouldn’t it hurt?

Letting somepony close enough to touch meant they were close enough to hurt, so even though a part of him hungered for warmth and comfort, the terrified, injured part of him declared it too dangerous. Even if he did somehow get out of this, if a miracle could be spared for a freakish monster like him, where could he go? If he was discovered, he'd be brought before the empire and likely killed. He'd be trading one prison for another even if he escaped Scorpan's grasp.

Alone in the cloying, humid cave, he let out a frightened sob. He didn’t want to die, but what hope did his future hold? He'd never be found in this place, where only once a bird had visited him. Once Scorpan's brother was back, he'd no doubt be destroyed.

That was when he'd heard footsteps, and knew what was going to happen once more.

Scorpan mocked and laughed as his prisoner seen the hope of a release from his pain ripped away from him along with his power.

“I’m not done with you yet..." Scorpan had jeered as the torture at last came to an end, and he watched Sombra fight with the pain from his repeatedly broken leg. Then he'd left his captive to suffer once more.

That was the day the ponies and Discord had come for him.

His stomach lurched painfully, and he took off at speed, darting past blurs that could've been ponies, or could’ve been pieces of construction equipment. The speed he was running at, anything was possible.

Reaching one of the outer borders that led onto the snow-drenched land beyond, he spotted a familiar variety of massive shrubbery and once more made a dive that would’ve made a hoof-ball player proud.

It hurt to be so violently sick, and his throat burned painfully, but there was nothing he could do to control it. As it had been the first time, he just waited until the tremors subsided and he could struggle free of the clinging shrub.

Barely three feet away and his legs went dead, plopping him onto the snow on his stomach. He shivered at the cold, but needed a moment to take a deep breath or three...

He closed his eyes, hearing his pulse pounding noisily in his ears. In an effort to chase away the memories, he allowed happier memories to flood his mind. Memories of Discord playing pranks on the guards in an effort to make Sombra laugh, make him stop moping. Messages that honked when he opened them. Flower Power doing her belch-powered rendition of the Crystal Empire's anthem. The first time a hug became bearable...

He felt his chest loosen up, and a faint laugh filled the cold empty air around him.

He'd just sat himself up, using a quick spell to brush the cold snow from his coat when he heard a voice calling out...

Girder sighed in relief as the doctor confirmed Key would be alright. He was bruised, had a badly cut and sprained hoof and would need plenty of rest, but he'd be fine in time.

His friends were just as relieved to know their work buddy would be on the mend soon.

"Hay?" Girder spoke up, the trio of friends pausing to look over at him. "Has anypony seen his Highness?"

They all exchanged guilty looks. They'd been so focused on their friend, they'd forgotten about the stallion.

The doctor frowned. "Where is he likely to have gone?"

"I don't know," Girder turned to leave. "but I’m going to go search for him!"

Just as he got to the door, two ponies, a mare and a stallion, came running in.

"Oh thank Celestia, there you are!" The mare said on spotting Girder. "something weird just happened!"

The stallion nodded, continuing. "We were just securing the last of the diggers, when we hear what sounded like a stampede, and the next second, a big blur shot by us!"

"It was his Highness!" The mare looked concerned. "he looked pretty shook up, his ears were all the way down. Ponies doesn’t look like that unless they’re scared..."

She didn’t add in that even in the split second she'd seen him rounding the corner, there'd been tears in the pony's eyes. Something had happened that'd hit him HARD, enough to send him fleeing for the hills.

Girder was puzzled, struggling to work out what’d happened.

"What direction?" he asked at last.

With the directions of Sombra's last known location (approximately), he ran off in search of him. He made a quick stop off in the sleeping quarters, in case Sombra had returned there. Sadly, no such luck, so he grabbed the blanket the King wrapped himself in at night.

"What’s going on boss? Why're you stealing that?" one of the junior foremen, asked with a snicker.

"I'm not stealing it, you butt-brain. Its owner has gone walkabouts since returning with the missing pony."

"His Highness is missing?" the pony asked. Heads turned at these words and Girder sighed.

"I didn’t say MISSING. He's just nowhere I know of! Chances are he probably went on a perimeter check, but it’s freezing out there and I need to get the details of the rescued pony for my report!"

As Girder left, the room broke out in murmurs, ponies wondering what had shaken Sombra up enough that he'd done a bunk. Whatever it was, it had to have been pretty bad...

Whispers about PTSD and trauma side effects ran around the room. Sombra's case was rumoured to have been a pretty bad one...

Girder ran as fast as he could, a lantern held in his mouth. He glanced around, peering between the skeletons of the latest buildings. Then, as he was hesitantly scouting the edges, he caught a flash of flowing ebony mane.

--Thank goodness...-- he thought with a sigh, as he ran over.

Sombra was sitting staring into the distance, looking wiped out and pale. But as he got closer Girder noticed he didn't seem upset or in shock. Just lost in thought...

"Your Majesty!!" Sombra jumped as he heard Girder’s yell. Turning, he saw the pony set the lantern down and trot over. With a flick of his head, the other stallion looped Sombra's blanket over the pony's back.

"Ah, thank you," Sombra said sluggishly, using his magic to tie it like a cloak. He studied the embroidered sun and moons on it, remembering the day Celestia gave it to him...

"Your Highness, what in Equestria are you doing out here? It’s freezing!" Girder asked.

"I apologize for any alarm, I...I needed some fresh air," Sombra smiled weakly. "I wanted a bit of breathing space and all the buildings felt too closed in."

Girder nodded, realizing it'd been a brief panic attack, hence why his Highness had fled out here. He'd calmed down by the looks of it, looking only slightly pale.

"Come back with me your highness. I’ll make you some coffee and we can talk," he offered.

Sombra nodded gratefully, getting to his hooves and trotting behind Girder as they headed back into the town, grateful the foreman had brought him the blanket. The cold was sinking in now he'd calmed down after the unfortunate dash to the bushes.

"What were you doing out there, your Majesty?" Girder asked as he set cups of coffee down in front of himself and the royal stallion.

"Competing in the long-distance vomit Olympics," Sombra tried to joke, but the discomfort was obvious. Girder frowned as he worked this one out.

"You weren’t feeling well? Have you a stomach bug?"

"No, nothing like that, it-" Sombra shook his head, then sighed. "I was running AWAY, fool that I am."

"Running from WHAT, Sire?"

"My nightmares," Sombra sighed. "I dare say you're wondering where I found the missing pony?"

Girder wondered when his Highness was going to stop giving him the run around and make sense, but he humoured the seemingly dazed King. "I am, but I’m also curious as to why you stopped responding to the parchment spell?"

"Ah, yes. The scroll was torn out of my grasp by a strong wind when I ventured to the perimeter."

"Where were you?" Girder queried. Something gnawed at his mind, a faint idea that he KNEW now what'd caused the frenetic race for the bush of many uses.

Sombra swallowed uneasily, then confirmed Girders fears with three words; "At the cave..."

Silence followed.

"You found him in there?" Girder was stunned, recalling how Sombra had been in a bad state after going into that cave last time.

Sombra nodded.

"Why didn’t you fetch any of us, your Majesty?" He was genuinely concerned as he studied the tired pony.

"I...I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt if I turned my back and left, that pony would perish. It was getting dark, I didn’t think there was time. So I went in after him."

Girder nodded, understanding now.

"I have another question Sire, how did you think to check that cave?"

"In amongst the other statements on the scroll, one mentioned he'd heard a voice, very faint but there nonetheless. But when they scoured the area, there was no sign of anypony. I asked where it was..."

"...and the response was near the cave, right?" Girder filled in. Sombra nodded.

"I recalled how a fracture in the cave wall had led to my own rescue, and I concluded that that was how the voice had been heard and why they didn't find a body. I tried to contact you, but that was when the wind tore the scroll from my hooves. I panicked. I felt if I turned my back there and then, i'd be condemning him to perish. Somepony came to find ME when I was trapped in that nightmare. I’ve done enough to be ashamed of in my life, I didn’t want to add abandoning somepony because of my own fear to that list."

Sombra stared down at his hooves as he spoke, noticing a bunch of small cuts and scratches from the rough stones on the cave floor, left when he'd raced haphazardly over them in an effort to escape. "It seemed the tunnel had collapsed behind him, trapping him. Using Umbrum crystal to support the walls, I was able to get him out. We were just making our way out when he told me to run. The ceiling was giving way behind us. We barely made it out!"

"Sweet Celestia," Girder was a shade paler. "that was too close."

"Indeed," Sombra heaved a sigh and looked back up at Girder. "but that’s the whole story. After that I ran back here and you know the rest."

Girder nodded, setting down the pencil he was holding in his mouth as he finished his shorthand notes.

"Thank you, your Highness. That’s all I’ll be needing. I'll talk to Key once he's recovered. It doesn’t seem like he's sustained any severe injuries, nothing that won't heal rapidly."

"That is good to hear," Sombra smiled faintly at last. "I know first-hoof how frightening it is to feel...trapped."

Girder set a hoof on the pony's shoulder, giving the weary stallion a firm nod.

"You went above and beyond the bar, your Majesty, even with an experience that traumatic weighing you down. You can relax, take it easy."

Sombra accepted this with a nod and Girder set his hoof back down on the floor.

"Is your stomach faring any better now?" he asked the King.

Sombra nodded. "Yes, it will be alright shortly. It was nothing serious, just a flashback."

"To before?" Girder hesitated to ask. Sombra nodded.

"It sounds crazy, but I swore I could hear HIS laughter again, it felt like something was creeping up on me. I guess I panicked and fled. It seemed like the logical course of action at the time!"

"His? you mean - "

“Scorpan." Sombra said shortly, feeling sick at the mention. "even though I know he's in Tartarus, I sealed him in crystal myself, was given the news of his imprisonment when I woke from stasis. I KNOW he's gone, but alas my memories will not let him die."

"Trauma like yours, that’s not uncommon your Majesty." Girder tried to make him feel better. "the doctor has told me a lot about PTSD. Anything that can help, just let me know, We’re all concerned you're pushing your too hard. Nopony's gonna get mad if you take a day off. I'm recommending you take tomorrow off, give yourself time to recuperate."

Sombra hesitated, then saw the genuine concern on Girder’s face.

"Don’t worry about work, your Highness. You’ve done a stellar job already, you're not falling behind on anything. My concern is for my workers healthcare. And when you signed on, royalty or no, you became part of my workforce. That means I’m responsible for your welfare. Can't say I’ve ever had a King join my ranks before, but it makes no difference. It's my job."

Sombra nodded and accepted Girder’s suggestion.

"Now," the pony said when he and the King had polished off the coffee. "are you hurt at all?"

"No, I’m fine. Just a few scratches here and there. They'll heal, probably faster if I - "

He closed his eyes, shifting easily to the Umbrum version. Girder shook his head in awe, it was a sight to behold. The crystal had an unusual transparency to it, the outer edges almost transparent, darkening to colour and solidity the further in one looked. The wings were more colourful in this form, with subtle shades on the larger feathers. A faint light seemed to illuminate the unicorn's horn from the inside. When he opened his eyes, there were far more subtle shades to them.

"No matter how many times I see you do that," Girder chuckled. "it still catches me off guard. This is the native form of your species, isn't it?"

Sombra nodded, looking at his hooves, noting they were not scratched. He'd just need to stay in this form awhile.

"Yes, we start off colourless. As our abilities develop and we become more sure of what we are, WHO we are, they deepen."

"Yours seems darker than before, almost the same shade as the other appearance."

Sombra took a look at himself. "Yes, I have noticed it darkening steadily with every recent encounter. Even Celestia mentioned to me she thought it looked different to when she'd seen me prior."

"Guess that acts the same way as a cutie mark. Although you have the best of both now it seems," Girder nodded at the pony’s cutie mark. "I was surprised when the story reached me, yet at the same time, not."

“How so?" Sombra asked curiously.

Girder grinned. "you’ve defeated an enemy to Equestria, proven history wrong, saved an entire species and advanced it all by your own hard work. Getting a cutie mark seems like child's play to a pony that can do that!"

Sombra felt a flush of pride. He was happy to see the good he was capable of doing, with magic that'd caused such misery before. It still worried at him sometimes, but the occurrences were getting fewer and fewer. He glanced round at the cutie mark, recalling how the other ponies had cheered when they’d seen it. He couldn’t help a small smile.

"See?" Girder chuckled. "I think you’ll be able to pull off running a kingdom easily once we get it up and running. Oh!" he turned back, rummaging for something in a drawer, then held out several forms to Sombra.

"These, your Majesty, are requests I was asked to draw up. They’re officially asking your permission to remain in the kingdom upon its completion. It seems they'd like to stay with you."

Sombra's eyebrows raised in genuine surprise as he took the sheets of paper, recognizing several names from the teams he'd worked on.

"Its entirely up to you, your Highness. It's YOUR home."

"Have you got a pen?" Sombra asked without a delay.

Girder watched as he cycled through the paperwork, signing the forms with an elegant, old fashioned signature.

"Ah, this is the pony that taught me that inappropriate poem!" the Umbrum King chuckled as he signed the last form.

Girder rolled his eyes, why did it not surprise him that his men were already adopting Sombra as a worker by teaching him slang, jokes and other nonsense? Admittedly it WAS funny hearing such uncouth statements coming from a King. It made the other ponies laugh and perhaps made him easier to approach.

"Thank you, your Highness. They’ll be happy to know you’ve accepted their request. Now, I suggest you get an early night. It's been a long day for you."

Sombra nodded, and followed after Girder as he left.

They stopped outside by the main beacon so Sombra could disconnect the spell. All personnel had been accounted for, so nopony else was out there in the wastes.

"I should speak with the doctor briefly if I were you, Sire. Let him know you’re alright."

Sombra nodded, and they headed for the medical building. As they walked, Sombra brought up the contents of the letter he'd received.

"So, who is the pony travelling out on the supply train?"

"Excel. She is one of the first of my Umbrum's that I met when - " Sombra stopped suddenly as they approached the medical building. Something wasn’t right.

Sombra felt a shiver hit him, and motioned Girder to hang back.

"What is it, your Majesty?" The earth pony asked, frowning.

"Something's not right..." Sombra marshalled his magic to get a clearer picture as he stepped towards the door -

When it was suddenly flung open and SOMETHING tackled him, knocking him back several feet into the snow and pinning him in place. He opened his eyes, head spinning and got a shock.

It was the rescued pony, Alan Key, that was pinning him. But he didn't look the same. The pony was encased within what seemed to be a full body-shaped pink crystal. It was encasing him at its centre, the thick crystal making him big enough to pin a pony of Sombra's stature in place.

"How - ?" Sombra snarled, then recognized the thing.

"That's right..." it sneered, the mouth on the crystal coating cracking open to reveal serrated teeth, its voice that of its hosts, with a creepy rattle to it.

"You destroyed my last body. Now it's time to get revenge!"

"Hay! Get away from his Majesty!" Girder made to charge the crystal-thing, but it moved quickly, lifting one foreleg off Sombra's chest and transforming the end of its hoof into a deadly sharp spike which he aimed at Sombra's throat. Girder screeched to a halt, horrified.

"Not one more step, or your precious, ‘King’ gets it." the thing laughed. Sombra struggled to stay calm, but the way this THING was crouching over him, the close proximity was setting old alarm bells ringing. He'd been able to adapt to contact when the intent behind it was kind. But this felt the opposite, the intent was to hold him prisoner. Something he still feared at a base level.

"Hmmm?" It turned its glance back to the seemingly emotionless pony pinned under it. "What’s this? You don’t like anypony to hold you?" It said this in a mocking voice, able to read the emotions of these pathetic equine creatures easily.

"What’re you going to do?" it mocked as Sombra snarled angrily at it. It felt the pony's body shift, sensed him trying to move and pressed the blade just a touch harder against his neck. Girder stared in horror as he seen a minor crack form in Sombra's Umbrum crystal body.

Sombra stilled his movement, realizing this was a bad situation. It would take a lot more force to injure the Umbrum form, but he couldn’t take that risk.

His captor grinned, thinking it had him at its mercy.

"Now hold still. This body is too weak, I want YOURS. This won't hurt much!" It cackled evilly, eyes locked with Sombra's. That was what let it notice the glow emanating from Sombra's core only when it was too late.

"What - ?!" It yelled, then there was a bang and a flash as it was thrown back. It shook its head, its vision finally clearing.

Sombra's blast had thrown it several feet back, and the Alicorn stood, wings raised defiantly.

"What are you?" Sombra snarled.

"I could ask you that. You're not like the other ponies are you? But me? You can call me Wraith."

--Wraith?-- Sombra wondered if that signified anything. His best guess was this thing didn’t have a permanent body, instead relying on stealing others.

"I see you’ve come to an understanding about me," Wraith laughed. "you guess right, Crystal King. To live, another must surrender. But I need power. A weak body will not do."

By now quite a crowd had formed, shocked ponies watching what was going on.

"Let him go!" Sombra snapped.

"You presume to make demands of me, your ‘Majesty’?" it spoke the title with disdain.

"I destroyed you once before, I will do it again." Sombra declared.

"Oh really? You don’t seem to have grasped the situation. To destroy me you'd have to get your hooves on the crystal hiding within this pony's body. Are you prepared to KILL him?"

This ground Sombra's plan to a halt, fear sinking into his bones. Kill? No, there had to be a better way!

The ponies watching all cried out in horror, eyes flicking from the creature to Sombra, who looked as horrified at the idea as they were.

"Maybe, if you're powerful enough, you'll find an easier method to remove it. There was a spell once that succeeded in saving the host. Who knows, maybe you're enough of a mutation to achieve such a thing?"

It hunched over, and with a shudder wings sprouted from its back. It grinned evilly "Come and catch me!" Then it kicked off in a flurry of snow. Sombra took off after it without hesitation, although his mind was still spinning as to how he was supposed to destroy that crystal and save Key.

Sombra didn’t have much time to plan, as the aerial assault began. The Wraith was going all out to take him down. Blasts of pink magic seared past his ears, muzzle and wings, trying to clip his wings, but Sombra wasn’t going to be beaten by this insane thing. He just needed to buy some time. He teleported rapidly through the air, dodging the blasts and using shields to deflect them back. He fired stun blasts of magic, succeeding in hitting thing in the right foreleg. It broke away a chunk of the crystal surrounding Key and Sombra saw an opening.

"Get back!" It snarled as Sombra suddenly shot up close, aiming his attacks at the crystal coating. Shards of it sliced downwards, impacting the snow below. By keeping up close, teleporting all around it, Sombra wasn’t giving it much room to attack with its magic.

The ponies below were pushed back by Girder and the doctor, yet couldn’t refrain from staring up at at the night sky. The blasts of magic from the two combatants illuminated snapshots of the battle. They glimpsed from a distance that Sombra appeared to be hacking away it its defenses as the Wraiths attacks were becoming more frenzied.

"Please get Key back..." one mare whispered, knowing her tiny plea couldn’t be heard by the stallion trying his best to do just that, but she hoped nonetheless...

Up in the air Sombra winced as a blast seared by his ear, causing a crack to form in the crystal. The pain caught him off guard and he was shunted back by a blast of magic a second later. He regained his flight, the two of them hovering at an impasse.

--If only I could get at that crystal..I..-- an idea formed in Sombra's head. It was a risky one that required him to put a lot of faith not just in himself, but in those below.

He had no other option. The crystal was regrowing around the thing’s body. Even if he succeeded in removing it all, he still had to get the crystal from Key’s body.

He set his mind to what was certainly the most insane thing he'd ever concocted. He flew close to Wraith, as if to resume his attack on its crystal armor.

"Give it up!" it mocked. "You’ll have to kill him to be rid of me! Go on, your Highness, get blood on your hooves!" it laughed coldly. Sombra hesitated, his refusal written all over his face. Wraith spotted his opening and geared up everything he had in a second, seen the shock on the pony’s face as he realized his mistake -

Those below screamed in horror as there was an explosion of pinkish-white magic, reflected by the Umbrum's crystalline body as it hit him in the chest. The blast knocked Sombra from the sky, wings reflecting the fading magic of the devastating attack as he fell to earth.

The Wraith landed a second later, looming over Sombra's unconscious body. The Alicorn's injured form lay with its back to the encroaching crowd, so they couldn’t see what damage had been done.

Those trying to charge towards Sombra soon ran up against a shield generated by Wraith.

It laughed, baring its teeth as it stood over Sombra's body. A quick press of its hoof to Sombra's neck confirmed he was alive. The blast hadn’t stopped his heart, merely paralyzed him. He had to act fast, before the pony awoke.

With the hoof resting on Sombra, it closed its eyes, transferring its consciousness -

The panicked crowds saw the crystal coating around Key vanish, leaving the pony swaying on his hooves over the King's body.

The dizzy, drained Key had a few moments to take in the seemingly dead body in front of him before he blacked out..

Silence reigned, as they all stared in horror...

Then Sombra stirred. He got up somewhat unsteadily, as if not used to his own body. That was when they realised he WASN'T.

Sombra's normal eye colour was a deep garnet red, now they had a dark pink hue, and seemed to glow unnaturally.

The Wraith laughed deeply, enjoying the sound of its words coming from this pony’s mouth as it spoke.

"Finally, something far more FITTING, pardon the pun. Shame he was too cowardly to save your little friend. Such a messed up way of thinking. He could’ve been rid of me had he just had the bravery to destroy one pony.."

"That is bravery of no sort!" Girder spat. "that is cowardice. You’re the coward here, unable to fight without hiding behind somepony else!"

Wraith-Sombra snarled angrily at this insult. Then he grinned, the expression unnerving.

"Want to know how I was able to do this?" he laughed "these pathetic emotions you call "kindness" and “sympathy". In the end they were his downfall. You see," he examined one foreleg, seemingly unhurried. "this one? I thought he'd be impossible to overwhelm. His physical and magical ability is far beyond any pony I’ve ever seen. Most of your kind are easy, too frail to resist. This one gave me quite the run around up there. But you see, with your precious King, the damage is all inside."

Wraith-Sombra laughed, smirking spitefully as it recalled what was inside this pony’s head. "So much suppressed. Bet you didn’t even know he couldn’t stand being touched. That he would lash out at anypony that tried to help him back then. But I must admire his strength. Even after being tortured to the brink of madness or death, he refused to cave in. But something like that leaves such DEEP, delicious scars..." it cackled, licking its lips.

"Shut up!" Many ponies yelled at once, furious at seeing the stallion’s deepest, most painful memories being defiled this way, but Wraith-Sombra just laughed.

"Even now he's afraid, afraid it’ll all just fade away, and he'll lose it all. Well, now he can watch as I take his precious former home, this ‘Crystal Empire’ -GAH-"

He cut off mid-boast, crying out in pain as something impacted his right foreleg. Looking down he saw a scar, deep and painful, encircling his leg. It was carved deep into the crystal of the Umbrum's body. He staggered as more appeared around the other legs, and one around his neck.

"W-what's going on? How is this happening? He has no control..." Wraith-Sombra gasped, realising seconds later he was wrong. It could feel Sombra there, sense the pony's consciousness tearing away at the chains he'd locked it in, reaching out for shards of memory.

The pain was horrific, almost making Wraith feel sick. But Sombra's consciousness wasn’t done yet. An intense pain speared the right hind leg, and he couldn’t keep his weight on it any more. Wraith staggered unsteadily, not noticing he'd dropped his shield as he fought with the backlash from the pony he fought to posses.

"As I expected," Girder said loudly. "you cannot hope to control one such as him. He has more capability even WITH his trauma, then you could ever hope to best!"

He hoped the real Sombra could hear his words and fight back just enough to get free.

"Im..possible..." Wraith-Sombra snarled, but it was afraid. It'd never encountered resistance like this. How had Sombra regained control?

It tried to spread the Alicorn's wings and escape, but a rope lashed around Its midsection, pulling the flight appendages close to his body. He turned, snarling as a pegasus holding a unicorn in the air flew away, landing on the ground.

"You’re not getting away!" another pony, one of the ones Sombra had made good friends with and often ate dinner with, stepped up to get Wraith-Sombra's attention.

Wraith tried to dredge up Sombra's magic, but the pony's consciousness was getting more powerful. Nothing he threw at it was keeping it back.

It turned on this pony, figuring it'd use Sombra's physical strength if his magic was out of reach. He reared up, crystal hooves glinting -

Then somepony slammed into his side, knocking him over and slamming him to the ground, stunning him.

Girder shook his head as he jumped back from the possessed King.

"Like BUCK you're hurting anypony of my crew!" he snapped coldly.

This was the opening Sombra's consciousness needed, and he took it.

A faint glow started to shine deep within the Umbrum pony’s body.

"No...no!" Wraith shut his host's eyes, trying to force the power to recede. But he realized he'd made a mistake in possessing this pony.

Sadly this knowledge came too late, as the glow lit up the pony’s entire body, and Wraith felt a wave of pressure bearing down on it.

The ponies shielded their eyes as there was a flash and a WHUMPF sound. When they opened them, they cheered.

Sombra, back to normal, stood there looking shaken and bruised and very angry.

A few metres away, a faint pinkish shape lay in the snow. It got up, and true to its name, it was a wisp, a ghost. Barely pony-shaped, it only just seemed able to stand.

"How?" it hissed.

"Easy..." Sombra said, his voice cold. "you made the mistake of opening that box of memories. When you went delving into the capture and torture, you handed me the keys to your own destruction. Those are powerful memories - bad, dangerous ones. But they're mine. The feelings you triggered were what broke the chains. I knew you couldn’t resist from the moment you boasted after knocking me down."

Wraith realised it was stuck. Where was the crystal -

"Looking for this?" Sombra levitated a familiar, albeit far more cracked crystal.

"Give that to me - !!" Wraith sounded almost feral as it threw itself at Sombra. Sombra stumbled, enabling the wraith to snatch the crystal out of the air. It stumbled to a halt gazing hungrily at the crystal, laughing in triumph.

It looked at Sombra and noticed the pony was smirking.

"What-?" something was wrong, alarm bells began to ring. It felt the crystal stick to its hooves. At it looked down in horror, it seen its body was being absorbed into the crystal.

"Let it be your prison, since you want it back so badly." Sombra said bluntly.

Everypony around watched as the creature was absorbed into the crystal, kicking and swearing the whole way. At last, it was gone.

"Can you destroy it, your Majesty?" Girder finally found his voice. Sombra nodded.

"In this form it is possible, all of that thing is sealed away. It will not torment anypony ever again."

He floated the crystal into the air, and closed his eyes. Magic gathered around his horn, and he opened them, aiming the intense blast at the crystal. It didn’t shatter, it vaporised. A smattering of ash was borne away on the wind.

The ponies cheered, and clustered around Sombra, who was rubbing at his neck without seeming to realize it.

The ponies in the crowd understood, or at least guessed, what those marks were. They were clearly scars from restraints, back when that Scorpan creature had tortured the captive Sombra. The way he'd refused to stand on that hind leg made them guess it'd been fractured or something close to that. They felt massive sympathy for the pony, thinking how bad it must have been. No wonder he'd been afraid afterwards...

Whatever pain he'd summoned was gone now, as Sombra stood easily on all four hooves, but he seemed to have forgotten about the scars.

"Sweet Celestia..." a groaning voice spoke from several feet away. Poor Alan Key was finally awake. Many of the crowd, his friends first and foremost, gathered around, concerned. Sombra was glad to see him awake, his plan having worked.

He stepped forward as Key's friends helped him sit up. The pony seemed fine, albeit a bit dazed.

"Wha' happ - " Key flashed back to his last conscious memory, of seeing what he'd thought was a dead -

"King Sombra - ?" he panicked, turning white as a sheet "did I - ?"

"Don't worry." A reassuring, rumbling voice spoke up, carrying above the babbling crowd. Key scrambled to his hooves, relief coursing through him as he seen Sombra alive.

"Your highness!" He blurted, immediately issuing a deeply grateful bow. "I'm sorry - !"

"There’s no cause for concern. What happened was out of your control. A creature calling itself Wraith was the opponent here." Sombra sought to put him at ease.

"What happened to it, your Highness?" Key asked, feeling dizzy.

"That thing is gone. Destroyed." Sombra smiled gently. "you're safe now, so you can relax."

Key nodded, light-headed with relief and gratitude. He noticed the scars on Sombra's legs and neck and when he met the King's eyes he seen a glimpse of self-consciousness there. These were the scars gathered during his imprisonment. Key noticed many ponies looking with sympathetic yet curious looks at the marks. Sombra closed his eyes, and with a faint brush of magic, the scars faded, and he felt back to normal. He also removed the rope that’d bound his wings to prevent escape.

"It is over," he said, and for a moment key wasn’t sure if the King was speaking about his past, or the events that’d just passed.

"I’m just glad you’re both safe," Girder popped up beside Key and Sombra. "that was unnerving to watch. That thing possessing you both."

Key and Sombra both shuddered.

"Most unpleasant!" Sombra muttered.

"Agreed." Key shook himself slightly.

"Still, that was an impressive tackle." Sombra smiled softly at Girder.

"I used to be a hoof-ball player in my school days!" Girder said with a shrug and a laugh. "guess old habits die hard!"

"I must admit I’m rather intrigued by this game," Sombra mused. "I must study it."

"Study?" one pony shook his head. "Pfft! We can do better then that, your Majesty! Bunch of us here can teach you if you'd like. We're always having games in the evenings."

Sombra's tired gaze brightened at the suggestion and he readily accepted.

The Doctor checked him and Alan Key over before letting the exhausted ponies get to bed.

As they headed towards bed, Key once more stopped to thank Sombra.

"I don’t know what you did, your Majesty, or what you put yourself through to save me, but I know I owe you my life. I intend to apply to Girder to stay here once the kingdom is built, if you’ll allow me, Sire."

Sombra smiled, setting a hoof on Key's shoulder. Looking up at the taller pony, Key seen him smiling gently. "Consider it done. I'd be honoured to have you here, master Key. Rest well." Sombra told him as he set his hoof back down.

"You too, your Majesty," Key felt a fresh respect for Sombra as he trotted over to his bed, where his friends awaited.

Sombra smiled, and wandered over to his bed. He curled up atop the mattress, falling asleep inside of a minute.

All the fuss meant Sombra had forgotten all about the contents of that letter...and who'd be arriving tomorrow!

Author's Note

Long time coming, i apologise for the wait! I hit a block, then started work... :ajsleepy:

Many thanks to Hail-King-Sombra for editing this chapter! :heart: She is made of awesome~

Caretaker

Sombra was up early the morning, and proposed a plan to Girder.

The idea was to create an early warning system using crystals. He could set up a perimeter around the site, anything that crossed would send a warning signal to him. The more he developed the spell, the more ponies he could set the wavelength to. It was the best move they had so far, and the King was given permission to set it up.

By the time everypony else was awake, the dusky grey crystals had been set up in a perimeter that surrounded the massive work site. It’d taken Sombra quite awhile to finish it, but he was pleased by the end result. Testing it would come later, but he was reasonably certain it would work, he’d tweaked the spell as best as he could.

After the announcement had been made to the workforce, Sombra was put on one of the painting teams. He soon realised paint was up there with cement in the "most likely to get all over your coat" rankings.

By the time the can he was using ran dry, he was speckled with the stuff. He set the paintbrush down and went in search of another can.

A few short minutes later he walked back into the building, floating a fresh set of paint cans alongside him. He was caught up in a daydream, thus he didn’t see the two stallions having a paint flicking contest ahead of him.

"Take this!" one laughed, levelling the paintbrush at his friend, who deflected it with a shield. Which accidentally made it fly off at an angle-

Sombra was startled as paint splattered over his coat, a chilled splatter of it splashing onto his cheek. He raised a hoof, attempting to brush it off, but all this did was smear it into his fur even further.

Both ponies, indeed everypony in range, went stock still.

"We're-in-trouble." the first pony squeaked. The other grinned sheepishly at the King.

Sombra looked from the two, frozen mid-fight, to an abandoned paintbrush just a few feet away.

"Paint battle, hm?” he flipped the paintbrush from the tin, grinning evilly "I refuse to be beaten in a fight, now..?"

Needless to say, it devolved into all out chaos from there. With everypony veering between seeing who could paint the base coat the fastest versus who could flick paint the furthest. Sombra was extremely glad the floor was safely covered with dust sheets tacked down, or the whole room would’ve resembled a very weird piece of art!

Girder walked in, in time to see a blob of paint soar across the room.

"What is going on in here?" he barked. Everypony froze.

"Uhh..." Girder turned as he heard King Sombra clear his throat, staring at the paint splattered pony standing to his left.

"It is exactly what it looks like." Sombra finished, which caused several ponies to utter amused snorts of laughter.

"So I see, now who started this?" Girder sighed, looking back at the others in the room, used to his majesty's smartassery.

Another cough from Sombra.

Girder turned and stared at the King in disbelief. Surely not-?

"I may not have started it, bit I regret to say I failed in stopping it also. Sorry." Sombra coughed, looking sheepish.

Girder tried to get annoyed but the honest-to-Celestia amusement on Sombra's face, the way the King was battling desperately not to laugh meant he couldn’t get too mad at the monarch or the whole lot of them. Sanity knew they all needed to let off steam, and if a paint fight helped-?

"You guys are lucky it's just the base coat. Don’t let me catch you doing that with the actual colour application. Clear?" he said, sounding as stern as he could. Even as he fought not to laugh.

They all nodded eagerly.

"So, who won?" Girder joked with a weary sigh.

"We don’t know," the pony that'd accidentally splattered Sombra earlier shrugged, grasping at straws then saying "I guess whoever is covered in the most paint?"

All eyes turned to Sombra, who out of all of them was pretty heavily spattered with the eggshell coloured paint.

"I am a big target, it would seem! Cue jokes about the size of my posterior.." he shrugged, the formally spoken joke prompting more laughing. There was something undeniably funny about Sombra's high-class versions of common jokes.

--Really? These guys are teaching a KING butt jokes?-- Girder shook his head, chuckling. Then he addressed Sombra.

"At any rate, there’s some ponies outside asking for you, your majesty. They’re Umbrum's!"

Sombra blinked, seriousness returning "Umbrum's?- Oh! It must be Excel!" he trotted after Girder, heart lifting.

Earlier that morning.......

The supplies train pulled into the makeshift station set up at the growing construction site.

Three ponies stepped out, their solid crystal bodies reflecting the sun. Between two of them was an ornately decorated box.

"Can we help you?" The closest guard asked curiously. These were Umbrum ponies, Sombra's ponies to be exact.

"We're here to see our King, in preparation of tomorrows royal visit." The mare at the front smiled as she gave an elegant bow "My name is Excel."

"I don’t know where he's working today, but follow me miss. It shouldn’t take long to find him." the guard, a volunteer from the Crystal Empire, motioned them to join him.

Excel thanked him politely as they set off. She looked forward to seeing the King after so long away!

"Is Infinitum faring well?" she asked the guard as they walked deeper into the site. He nodded, but looked a little concerned at the same time.

"His highness? Sure, he's been working extremely hard ma'am, " the guard said "we’ve had a few incidents including snowstorms, giant timber wolves and one case of possession by a wraith that would’ve ended badly were it not for his involvement!."

"Oh my-!" Excel paled "a wraith? What in Equestria is that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine ma'am. Never witnessed a thing like it before. Strangest critter I’ve ever seen, it took over one of the workers first, then his Majesty. That was where its luck ran out."

He shook his head "you do not mess with that guy!"

"Our Infinitum is not to be trifled with, indeed!" Excel smiled. The guard could hear the pride and happiness in her voice. Sombra's ponies clearly loved him very much.

"Aha! There's Girder, he'll know where his Majesty is!" The guard hollared to the foreman as he finally spotted him "SIR!"

"What- oh!" Girder did a double take as he set his clipboard down and trotted over.

"Hello ponies, welcome to the site for the Umbrum Kingdom. What brings you three here?"

Excel bowed politely "I am Excel. We are here to prepare his Majesty for the royal visit tomorrow!"

"Visit-oh..buuuhh-" Girder recalled Sombra asking about something along those lines, mentioning Excel too and he face-hoofed.

"I’m truly sorry miss, after the ruckus last night caused by the wraith, I was unable to speak with his Majesty about your arrival!"

"I heard!" Excel looked concerned "it sounded dreadful!"

"Sure was a crazy thing," Girder raised his eyebrows at the memory "Turns out it was the same thing that possessed that Timberwolf his majesty destroyed!"

He shook his head to clear it, and adderssed the trio. "Follow me, I’ll take you to him. He's working on one of the painting crews today, I believe!"

The trio of Umbrum's followed after him, anxious to see their King again.

Girder left them by the edge of the building and trotted inside.

"I hope his Highness is alright." Excel worried.

"I’m sure he's fine!" The first male pony assured her "from what the letters have told us, he has been working tirelessly on our behalf!"

All the same, he and the other stallion exchanged anxious looks. They’d been selected for their positions in the former Umbrum society, released from their semi-ghostly forms and given solid bodies with help from Sombra's mother, Umbra.

To date they had not directly met their King, only caught glimpses of him during the times he'd come to see them prior to his coming out here to work. So they were understandably nervous about meeting their ruler, the Infinitum.

Seeing their unease, Excel told them not to fret, then she heard a familiar voice-

"Excel!" they turned to face the voices owner.

Sombra stood beside Girder, looking pleased to see her. He was also splattered with paint, his mane tied back from his face. He looked a mess, but the gleam in his eyes spoke of a contented, hard-working pony. Even dressed down for work, he still carried an air of strength and benevolence.

"Infinitum!" Excel and the two stallions bowed deeply "its good to see you once more, our King!"

Sombra returned the regal bow "I’m pleased to see you Excel, what brings you here?" he looked curiously at the two new ponies. They kept their heads bowed in reverence to their King, but he caught them sneaking fleeting glances at him.

To the duo, he was as imposing as they imagined. A strong build, with powerful wings and that signature red horn. His eyes were a deep crimson, sharp and alert. When he spoke, they seen brief flashes of sharp fangs. He was a commanding presence, one that radiated an effortless strength.

"We're here to ensure you are ready for the visit tomorrow!" Excel smiled at the ruler. Sombra mimicked Girder and face-hoofed.

"Blast it!" He grumbled "I forgot-"

"Fret not, Infinitum, we understand you had your hooves full with this "wraith" business, alongside your work!" Excel chuckled "That is why we came here. We brought everything you'll need!"

She gestured to the box, and Sombra sighed in relief. She motioned the two ponies that'd been carrying it to step forward now. They straightened up, directly meeting their ruler's gaze.

"These ponies have been anxious to meet you, Infinitum,” Excel explained They have only recently been given solid form by Lady Umbra."

At the mention of his mothers name Sombra smiled warmly, wondering how she was doing?

"I'm Notepage, your majesty." The first stallion spoke up.

"And I am Page Assist, your highness!" said the second.

They bowed deeply, saying in unison "it's an honor to finally meet you, King Sombra!"

As they straightened up, Sombra smiled and assured them it was a pleasure to meet them both.

Notepage spoke next "Our duties in the former time were to serve the one who leads us. As our Infinitum, we are here to assist and serve you your Highness, with your permission?"

It was a bit of a surprise, suddenly gaining two assistants. Sombra had gotten used to handling most everything on his own, so his Umbrum's wouldn't have to. But he got the feeling these ponies wished to serve for the same reason the work ponies had asked Sombra permit them to address him as "Your Majesty". Out of respect. So he cleared his throat and prepared to address them; his smile made them feel more relaxed as he spoke;

"Thank you, both of you. And of course your request is granted." Sombra said honestly, seeing their faces brighten as he accepted the proposal.

Excel smiled warmly. She knew that Sombra was a very independent pony, but he would need to get used to having ponies assist and serve him when the Kingdom was complete. She guessed part of it was down to how he'd bossed the Crystal Ponies around, making them wait on him and fetch whatever he needed. His memories had outlined everything, and she knew Infinitum's heart was set against repeating ANY of his former actions. He did take it a bit far, but she was sure he'd adjust with time.

"Would you like a tour?" Girder asked the trio "See what your King has been helping build?"

All three rapidly accepted, and Sombra looked pleased at their enthusiasm.

And so the Umbrum ponies walked after Girder, getting their first proper glance at the new kingdom.

"It's beautiful sire," Excel whispered "The buildings look just like the ones your mother drew."

"Yes, the ponies here did a stunning job." Sombra nodded to Girder.

"Not without YOUR help, your highness!" Girder grinned "your new method for laying the struts has saved a LOT of time."

Excel was overjoyed to see the houses springing up so rapidly. Girder stated new workers were arriving every week, volunteering for the project. They were already having to build more barracks for everypony to sleep in! It was an ambitious task, building an empire from the ground up, afterall.

Girder found places for the two stallions and mare to stay. The two stallions were given beds in the same sleeping quarters as their King, so they’d be near if he needed them. Excel was staying in the female quarters, where she hoped she'd make some friends. It was amazing to be out exploring the world.

Girder told Sombra he could finish his shift early and spend time with his ponies.

Sombra spent the rest of that day catching up on everything the Umbrum ponies had been doing in his absence.

"We were delighted when we heard about your Cutie Mark, Infinitum!" Excel clapped her hooves "we've never had cutie marks before, and Firefly’s pictures of yours are amazing!"

"I will return to the Crystal Empire soon, then I can copy this gift to you ALL." Sombra promised.

"Thank you, Infinitum." All three chorused. They were excited by this new prospect, such a thing had never been seen in their world before. Umbrum's had always been blank!

The two new aides to the King had a lot of questions, which Sombra did his best to answer.

The next morning Sombra was up early as was now his habit. On autopilot, he got dressed in his work gear and was halfway to the door when he recalled today was the day of the visit, and-!

"Sire!" The two aides scrambled up from their beds and bowed hastily as they stood in front of their ruler "we need to get you ready sire!"

"That’s no problem, I’ll just go get a shower and ill be right back!" Sombra trotted past them, oblivious.

The two shared looks. With rapid speed, they positioned themselves between their King and the exit door. Sombra halted, one hoof raised mid-step, looking surprised. Then he frowned, appearing displeased, so the duo hastily scrambled to explain.

"That wont do, your Highness! We're here to get you looking your best, so we request you refrain from your work today!" Notepage panicked.

"Ah.." Sombra finally got the hint. It was a special occasion, it'd take more than a shower this time. "Of course."

"Your coat needs a wash sire, urgently." Page Assist said, frowning at the remnants of paint still splattering their leaders fur. "We must get your coat looking its best! Such hard work will affect even the Umbrum form."

Excel joined them, and Girder led them to the same building where he'd had the bath set up for Sombra before. The same tub had been re-purposed for another hot bath for the monarch. Excel dumped some special ingredients into the water that Cadance had assured her would clean up Sombra's coat and leave it nice and soft! The trio left Sombra alone to bathe, and he wondered if his coat WAS getting scruffy?

Sombra finished cleaning his coat and mane properly as quickly as he could, still baffled by how much fuss was being made about it. He emerged all clean and dry, to be greeted by his trio of Umbrum's.

They moved to the canteen where there was more room. Sombra's armor had been repaired after the dents it’d incurred after the timberwolf fight, and Page Assist and Notepage had spent the time he was in the bath cleaning the armor to a brilliant shine, buffing any and all scratches and scuffs out of it so it looked brand new!

"One of your friends sent this cloak specially for you!" Excel set a package on the table. It bore a familiar cutie mark of three diamonds.

Rarity's newest cloak for Sombra was a deep purple, a bit like his former cloak in style, only longer. It was trimmed with silver fur and the main part was inscribed with Umbrum symbols. The clasp was a smaller version of his cutie mark. It attached neatly to the armor, accenting it perfectly.

Sombra stayed very still, changed into his Umbrum form as the new cloak was attached. Lastly, Excel fussed with his crystalline mane, styling it according to Umbrum tradition. She even fluffed his wings up, so they appeared even more impressive when fully unfolded!

The final touch was the crown. Excel opened the box bearing the beautiful artefact, and placed it atop the King's head. She and the other two stepped back to make sure everything looked perfect.

NOW he looked like a King, paint free and washed!

"Whoa, fancy!" they all looked over as the first lunch shift piled in the door. Sombra looked totally different. They’d all seen him working, usually wearing protective work gear and the fluffy cloak. And spattered with paint or cement or plaster dust, among many materials. Seeing him all cleaned up, in full regalia and crown, they were reminded for the first time that he WAS a King after all.

Dressed as he was, it was pretty different to what they were used to.

"Blimey!" Girder walked in and did a double take "looking good, Your Majesty!"

All the ponies were taking an open gawk at this fancily dressed pony. Few had seen the crown before, and it was certainly ornate.

Sombra chuckled "it feels strange after so long at work, to be wearing such finery again!"

"Well we cant have you greeting the Prince and Princess covered in paint, Infinitum!" Excel smiled "this is as close to traditional Umbrum royal style as we can make!"

The visit wasn’t for another hour or two, so poor Sombra had to sit patiently in the canteen, no chance of working for fear of his fancy getup running afoul of the sharp equipment around the site!

Eventually the trains arrival time came around and Sombra, with his two attendants and Excel by his side, walked to the main entrance of the site. Girder was with them too, as he was to lead the tour of the site!

Crystal pony guards approached then stepped aside, bowing their heads as two familiar figures emerged.

"Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor!" The head guard announced.

The duo stepped up to the armoured pony, inclining their heads and addressing him by his formal title.

Sombra was happy to see them again, it’d been awhile! He and his trio of Umbrum's perfectly executed an elegant bow, Sombra's wings reflecting the light as he extended them, the polished armor shining in the sun.

"Its good to see you again," Shining Armor said to the King "we've been reading about the progress of your home through your letters. Can't wait to see!"

He greeted Girder next, congratulating him on the progress made so far.

"Your looking much happier, Sombra." Cadance could read it in the way he stood, the look in his eyes. This was the Sombra that should've been, all that time ago.

"Then I look as I most assuredly feel, Princess." Sombra smiled. "It may only be in its infancy, but this already feels like home."

"Hey, we're all on the same job here, you can dispose with the formalities!" Shining grinned as he rejoined the conversation. Sombra looked surprised, but nodded as he filed this away for future use.

Next the Crystal Empire rulers unveiled the boxes they'd had put on the train with them. Cakes, fruits and berries from the Crystal Empire, enough to keep a workforce fed for a week!

Sombra's stomach gurgled at the mere mention of "crystal berries", and this made the Alicorn Princess and unicorn Prince chuckle.

"Ah, ignore that." Sombra coughed, trying not to laugh.

"Too late." Girder snickered, making Sombra give him a mock-angry glare.

He turned back to Cadance and Shining Armor "Thank you, both of you. Everypony here is due a morale boost, I’m sure I can ask the cook to use these ingredients in combination with the recipe book miss Pie gave me."

"We brought others!" Cadance smiled and nodded behind her "they wished it to be a surprise, that is why we did not tell you."

She and Shining Armor stepped aside so Sombra could stride forward and meet two familiar figures that he recognised from a meeting shortly after his return from stasis.

An imposing Centaur King and a demure Gargoyle Queen. Vorak and Haydon. The duo bowed to their host.

"Master Sombra," The Centaur King's rumbling tones echoed around the gathering "it is an honour to see you once more."

It was a surprise, but a great one. Sombra recalled their grief, how they’d come to him begging him to forgive them on behalf of their son, for what Scorpan had done to Sombra. When he'd seen how much pain was hidden behind their masks, especially the heartbroken Queen, Sombra realised they didn’t deserve to bear the pain, they’d suffered enough, and had told them he bore no anger against them. He'd started to realise the extent of his own actions, and accepted he had to take responsibility and beg the crystal ponies to forgive HIM.

And as he'd forgiven the King and Queen, so too had the Empire given him a second chance. That day at the stadium, when he'd seen that massive crowd of Crystal ponies telling him to take the crown his Umbrum's held out for him. Where he'd publicly spoken about his own regrets over how he'd treated them, how he'd seen the same behaviour in Scorpan and had realised he couldn’t let it happen again. It was also where Discord had pulled a few rugs from under Sombra's hooves to get him to actually speak, as he'd so far previously been relatively mute whenever he'd ventured outside.

He also may have taught the Crystal Empire their first Umbrum swearword during the course of Discord's smart assery. Whoops.

"The honour is mine, your majesties." He returned, bowing deeply to them. His voice was far brighter and stronger than the last time they’d heard him speak.

King Vorak had initially feared the pony had been rendered mute by the horrors he'd endured, and had noted a sense of frailty in the pony’s voice when he DID hear him speak all that time ago. He'd feared Sombra was too badly damaged by Scorpan's torture, and it had surprised him when Sombra had not only forgiven them on behalf of their son but stated he'd been in that same dark place as Scorpan, that love had been twisted into vengeance for him too.

Vorak had been impressed by Sombra's strength even in his weakened, traumatised state. He'd had a feeling Sombra wouldn’t give in so easily, as the pony standing in front of them now proved.

"It has been quite some time since last we met." Queen Haydon regarded him warmly, her voice kind. She was relieved to see him so strong, compared to their first meeting back in Canterlot. Princess Cadance had told them his whole story since they'd left him, how he'd been unanimously chosen by the Umbrum ponies as their King. That the Alicorn form was part of an ancient prophecy, and Sombra's destiny was to be the Umbrum's saviour and guardian.

Vorak took in the Alicorn pony and nodded in approval "your health has improved vastly your Highness! You look every bit the fierce warrior King an empire needs!"

Sombra felt himself flush slightly, his road to accepting the job hadn’t been an easy one, but-

"I had the best help possible in that department." he looked at his Umbrum's, and at the Crystal Empire's rulers. "To name but a few."

Cadance and Shining Armor smiled at the acknowledgement. Sombra's new-found integrity had garnered their respect since meeting him again.

"We await your homes completion, that we might visit it again!" Haydon beamed, looking at her husband, who nodded and gestured behind him.

"I hope you will pardon our assumption, but we brought some of ours to boost the ranks of your workers!" The King and Queen stepped aside to reveal what looked like a sizeable platoon of Gargoyle and Centaur soldiers arranged behind them. Sombra's eyebrows raised, he looked speechless.

"Yowza." Girder said at last "goodness me that’s impressive!"

"Consider it a gift, King Sombra," Vorak explained "these men and women will serve under your command and help you raise your empire from the ground until such a time as your no longer require their services!"

The gathering of soldiers all bowed to the pony who they would consider their commander in place of their own king.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." they intoned.

Sombra had to kick his brain up the arse to make it act, the presentation of such a gift had caught him off guard! He raised his voice so they could all hear him, both welcoming and thanking them sincerely for their assistance, he would be honoured to have them alongside.

"I cannot thank you enough your majesties." he said to Haydon and Vorak as they came to stand beside him once more.

The Queen beamed delightedly, and the King clapped the pony on the back, with a big booming laugh.

"We look forward to creating a strong link between our kingdom and yours, King Sombra!"

Sombra nodded in agreement "As do I, your majesties, as do I!"

From there the group accompanied Girder on a tour of the houses built so far. On the way, the new platoon were shown where they could sleep and were allowed to explore the site as their King conversed with Sombra and the others.

"They’re beautiful," Cadance gazed at the polished the exterior of one of the houses, Umbrum markings engraved as history dictated.

"My mother was able to supply many a reference to work from," Sombra explained "it will be of comfort to the Umbrum's to see their culture alive once more. This is just the start!"

Once the tour of the site was done, with all the workers amazed to see so many members of royalty at once, the regal party headed for the canteen.

Sombra filled Haydon and Vorak in on as much of Umbrum culture as they wished to know. Including the legend of the Infinitum that'd been around since the start!

"-and it is believed the first Umbrum rulers were Infinitum, or "Alicorn" as most will know them. But it seems this is the first time since early history that this form has been seen!” Sombra elaborated.

“The legend dictated that at their darkest time, an Infinitum would return," he smiled a little "It has been a long time waiting, but their prophecy is finally coming true!"

Sombra had been given some Umbrum cookbooks by his mother, and the cook was happy to whip them up something delicious as they conversed.

During this gathering, Sombra told the tale of the Wraith possession, both the timberwolf incident and the one just a few nights prior.

"Wraith?" Haydon looked startled at the name "we encountered scarce amounts of those in our kingdom many moons ago, but we thought them almost extinct as so few have been seen since those days!"

"Mayhap they escaped and came here?" Sombra pondered "I had to seal it and destroy it, lest it get free and put somepony's life in danger!"

"A wise move," Vorak nodded "they are troublemakers, described as spirits of malice and mischief in our culture!"

"Malicious indeed." Sombra shivered "it was set on taking MY body and using it to wreak havoc! It was thanks to Girder and the other ponies that I was able to corral and get rid of it. I am grateful for their assistance in slowing my body down enough that my own mind could regain control."

"That sounds ghastly," Shining Armor shuddered "reminds me of the whole Chrysalis thing, where she made my mind go all weird!"

"Love was what she sought, yet it was ultimately what defeated her," Cadance smiled in remembrance as she looked at her husband "all thanks to Twilight's unwavering belief that something wasn’t right."

Haydon looked curious, so the Empire's rulers told her the whole tale of the changeling invasion and subsequent defeat!

After this, Sombra was persuaded to tell some of his recently learnt rude jokes. Which Vorak countered with a few of his own!

The stallions and Centaur were laughing their arses off, while the girls just shook their heads and giggled at their respective husbands. Tasteless as they were, they had to admit the crude humour was pretty funny, not the sort of thing you normally heard in a royal palace!

All too soon the time came for them all to go. Cadance expressed her regret their visit could only be a fleeting one. Sombra assured her it was wonderful to see them regardless of the briefness of their visit. Maybe next time they came there would be suitable sleeping arrangements? With the additions to the workforce, things were picking up the pace.

"We hope you will come stay in our Kingdom, once your home is finished!" Haydon said to Sombra as they walked.

"I'd be honoured, Queen Haydon, your Kingdom sounds amazing from what you both have told me!" Sombra bowed to the two as the got into their chariot.

"May your future be guarded by the fates!" The Centaur King said as he and his wife got into their carriage.

Sombra bowed once more and bid them fare well, once more expressing his gratitude for their kindness and generosity.

"He will make a fine King, wont he my dear?" Haydon smiled as their carriage took off into the horizon.

Vorak nodded "He has grown much in the time since we seen him last. I would not connect the frail, injured pony who was able to forgive the nightmare our son put him through with the one that greeted us today. He has fought hard to overcome his demons and bear his crown."

Haydon nodded. It'd hurt them both to lose their sons to their twisted plans. But in Sombra, they had both seen proof that hope could prevail, that here was one that’d managed to come back from that same darkness and regain his life. In a way, he was like their son they’d never had.

They hoped their link with the Umbrum kingdom would help their own. For too long they’d remained secluded, even from the equestrian population...

Cadance and Shining Armor promised they'd come by again soon, they were delighted to see the progress being made so far.

"I think it will be me visiting you shortly, I will need to return to the empire, as I have promised to copy the gift of cutie marks to the rest of my kind," Sombra told them "Excel tells me they eagerly await their own chances to find their marks!"

"Just let us know when, and we'll invite Twily and the girls too!" Shining Armor offered. Sombra brightened at this. After all, alongside Discord, they’d been crucial in showing him the world was safe once more.

"Take care!" They told him as they got back onto the train. Sombra thanked them again and watched the train disappear into the distance. The massive crates holding all the gifts from the Empire stood to one side, awaiting transport.

"Hoo boy, the cook will be over the moon when she sees these!" Girder remarked to Sombra as the stallion used his magic to lift the first crate. Sombra nodded, he looked forward to seeing the end results of cooking with the berries!

The boxes were put into the kitchen storage, and Sombra was heading for his bed to remove the finery and pack his crown away safely when he suddenly stopped mid-step, and his ears twitched.

"What is it, your majesty?" Girder asked.

"Something has breached the perimeter stones, and whatever it is, it is running fast!" Sombra didn’t hesitate in unfolding his wings and taking off into the sky.

"Which sector?" Girder yelled up to him.

"North B4!" Sombra called, then took off at speed. Girder gathered a group of guards and work ponies and sent them off after Sombra. The fading light caught his shiny coat of armor, reflecting in his crystal body as he flew like a comet straight towards the direction of the invasion.

Soon he seen a shape on the horizon, which rapidly separated out to reveal a caravan of ponies. About twenty in total, they were running as fast as their legs and wagon could go. Sombra looked behind them, seeing familiar loping shapes pursuing them.

“Timberwolves." he growled. Clearly he wasn’t going to see the end of these creatures, possessed or otherwise! He put on a burst of speed, aiming so he'd land between the two groups.

As he swooped down, he seen the rear right wheel on the wagon crack and break, causing the thing to swing out wildly. Several ponies stumbled, and the rest turned back to help them. Not waiting until his landing, Sombra flung up a barrier between them and the Timberwolves, landing on the same side as the caravan.

The beastly creatures slammed head first into the shield, gnashing and snarling. Sombra could see their breath steaming in the freezing air, glowing green eyes full of fury at being denied their prey.

The ponies panicked when their wagon went down. They turned back even though they knew it was too late and they'd never outrun the wolves now, when somepony swooped in to save them.

A barrier shot up, impacting the wolves head on and stunning a few of them. Then the one generating the shield hit the snow in front of them, wings outspread.

Collective jaws dropped. They took in the crystal body, polished silver armor, fancy crown and lush cloak. When their rescuer turned his head to look over at them, they got a final clue as to who he was. The Umbrum Alicorn, aka King SOMBRA.

Even as far out as they lived, newspapers and gossip had reached. The most recent news they'd had had rumoured there was a whole new city being built for Sombra's legendary missing race, the Umbrum's. That he was their defender, hence why he was an Alicorn, the only one of his kind to bear that gift.

"You’re..." One stallion stammered, transfixed by so way the glow of Sombra's eyes reflected in his crystal body.

"You need to run, the city is that way, there are workers and guards there that will take care of you." Sombra's voice was a deep rumbling sound, commanding yet kind at the same time.

"W-what? City?"

"It is not fully built yet, but it is still home." Sombra smiled gently and they realised this had to be the touted "building site" mentioned in the papers. But why was Sombra here if the Kingdom wasn’t built yet?

"Our wagon.." a mare said nervously. Sombra looked at it, then asked them to step back. He closed his eyes, a bright glow of magic spiralling around his horn. The wagon lifted up so it was floating above the ground.

He opened his eyes, studying the shape of the wheel before summoning the Umbrum crystal. This was the same substance he'd used to rebuild the chair at the parade. It was a tough, solid material and he was sure it would get the rest of the way. He switched the broken wheel out for the crystal one, securing it with another spell. The wagon stayed steady as he set it down.

He spotted packages that'd spilled from the cart when it'd fallen, and hurriedly piled them back inside. All the while, the group was staring in open curiosity and surprise.

"How...?" One young filly blurted.

"I can explain anything you wish to know later, for now you must run. I cannot hold them off forever. They must be dealt with." Somber turned his attention back to the ravenous Timberwolves.

"By yourself?" one pony asked incredulously.

Sombra smiled grimly "this will not be the worst thing I have fought these last few weeks, GO!" he yelled. They finally stopped gawking and gathered their group together, running in the direction Sombra pointed. He fired a flare of magic ahead of them, which would lead the guards straight to them.

"I c-cant believe it's really HIM!" Somepony blurted to the caravan leader. She nodded, stunned as much herself. She'd seen pictures in the papers, but up close was another matter entirely. This was the former tyrant of the north, the re-crowned KING. She'd heard a lot about him, about the battle of Canterlot, but what was true and what wasn’t?

Soon they seen another group of shapes heading for them, and realised these had to be the ponies Sombra spoke of.

"This way!" A pony wearing a hard-hat directed them to follow him, and soon they reached the edge of the site. As they finally came to a stop, the group noticed the half-formed skeletons of buildings and quite a few finished ones. The style was unlike anything they’d seen before.

"This is-?" One pony wheezed.

"The future site of the Umbrum Kingdom, yes." the hard-hat pony smiled kindly "I’m the head foreman, Girder. Did you by any chance encounter-?"

"Sombra?" the leader asked. Girder nodded.

"Yes we did," she answered "he's unlike what we imagined..."

"Yes, I imagine many folks feel that way. But once they get to know his Highness, they wont need to worry."

"He's alone back there, aren’t you going to send re-enforcements-?"

The stallion asking the question was cut off by a massive BOOM in the distance. Turning back the way they’d come, they seen a flare of purple magic light up the sky like a giant thunderclap. The light faded and some caught a glimpse of a shadow flying away from the detonation.

"Nope!" Girder grinned at their dumbfounded faces "his Majesty is more than capable of taking on Timberwolves! Child’s play."

A few seconds later they seen the shadow heading towards them. It flew down, landing elegantly. The lamps around the site reflected off the armor and crown, he was a pretty impressive sight. Sombra folded his wings down, looking at the group in relief.

"Ah, good, you made it safely." he smiled "is everypony OK?"

A collection of mute nods.

"How long were those things chasing you?"

"We uh, w-well, I dunno how far, but it was partway through the forest back that way." the closest pony stammered.

Sombra recalled seeing a forest on his flights, but it was a significant distance away for them not to need to scout it yet. Or so he'd assumed. He looked to Girder, frowning in concern.

"We may need to send a team out there, it seems the Timberwolves were not an isolated incident. We need to stop any future attacks."

Girder nodded "agreed, your highness, I'll put together a team tomorrow."

"Good, thank you." Sombra nodded. Assured something could be done, he turned his attention back to the group. He noticed the way they seemed high strung, staring nervously at him as if they expected him to snap at them. He felt a reminder of his past self's shameful actions and his chest tightened painfully. No matter how many times he reminded himself he'd brought this on himself by going crazy the way he had, it still bothered him to see ponies afraid.

--I have a long way to go..-- he panicked.

"Infinitum!" he turned in relief at Excel's voice as she trotted up.

She noticed his slightly dishevelled look, and frowned "where did you race off to? We were concerned."

"There is no need to worry, I am quite alright." Sombra reassured her "Some Timberwolves tripped the proximity crystals, they were chasing these ponies here."

"OH!” Excel took in the bedraggled, tired group "oh dear, can we help?".

Behind her, Sombra spotted his two assistants.

"If you could Excel, I'd be grateful." he smiled thankfully at her. He got the feeling the kind, motherly Excel would be more comforting to these scared ponies right now than HIS presence. They'd been chased by nightmares on legs, they were probably all freaked out.

"Of course, Infinitum!" she nodded, and gestured Notepage to follow her. Page Assist stayed with the King as he politely excused himself, trotting alongside the Umbrum King as he headed towards his sleeping quarters.

"Are you hurt at all your highness?" he asked. The King shook his head, only saying he was tired. It'd been a long day, and he desired a rest.

Sombra stayed quiet as Page Assist helped him remove the cloak and armor, storing it away. Last but not least came the crown, which was put away in its special silk lined case. Sombra put it in his trunk, locking it securely.

"Do you want some food, your highness?" Page Assist asked, hoping he could help in some way?

"I am quite alright," Sombra promised "right now I just wish to rest, it has been a strange series of events."

"I will leave you to rest then, your highness," Page Assist bowed before trotting away.

Sombra curled up under the soft warm blanket and drifted asleep with a sigh.

As she'd promised her Infinitum, Excel bid the ponies to follow her, assuring them the guards would tow the wagon somewhere safe and keep watch over it.

"Who're you, you look just like him?" the lead mare asked.

"I am Excel, Infinitum's liaison with his subjects. We are Umbrum ponies, awake at last after a long time asleep."

"I've read about you," the same mare looked at Excel "a-and about him."

"You refer to our Infinitum, correct?"

"Inifi-whuh?" somepony else asked. As Excel led them into the canteen, she explained;

"It's short for 'Umbrum ad Infinitum'. That is the name from legend, for our King. The infinite shadow."

She turned, seeing their dubious looks, and her expression saddened.

"Please, allow me to give you the story?"

While the cook began setting out dishes of food for the hungry party, Excel began telling the King's story.

She told of Sombra's reawakening, of everything he'd been through after the Scorpan fight. How he'd refused the crown and given them every memory of every act he'd done and left it in their hooves.

"We were desperate, he was the last carrier for all our hopes. And the strain was what drove him to madness. It was too much for a child to cope with, finding out he wasn’t what he'd spent his life believing, it hurt him too much."

"Aww..." One little filly looked up at excel "what about his mommy and daddy?"

"The Umbrum have a rare, sacred rite that allows a lone Umbrum to create one of our kind by his or herself. Lady Umbra, Sombra's mother, was the last one left. She only had magic enough to create him before she fell dormant. She had not even enough strength to care for him, or get to truly meet him, and relied on the Empire guards finding him and giving him a home."

"So," the caravan leader piped up "he spent most of his life not knowing what he was?"

Excel nodded her head, continuing the story. She described from Sombra's memories how he'd lost the one pony that’d treated him kindly and on a long dormant impulse had fled the empire out into the snow. That was where he'd found his mothers crystal. She'd had enough of her minimal power grow back that she was able to unlock his memories. And it had broken his heart. Everything he'd held dear had been fake, he wasn’t even a pony!

That was when he'd decided he may as well become the freak his peers viewed him as. The process had gone wrong and Sombra became a full fledged adult, with his full abilities ready to go. It was too much too soon and he'd gone mad from the overload, taking the Crystal Empire captive. In hindsight, maybe it'd been vengeance for the "accidental war" the Umbrum's had been captured in.

"Then what?"

"He was awoken by a monster with even less regard for life, the Gargoyle prince, Scorpan. He wanted our Kings magic. And when Infinitum would not grant it willingly, Scorpan HURT him. Took it by sheer brute force."

The grief in her voice gave the gathered ponies understanding enough, the papers had mentioned an imprisonment.

"Even broken and barely able to function, Princess Celestia told us Sombra still gave them what little memory he had left, to try help. He gave up the chance to repair himself to speak with the Crystal Empires Prince and Princess when they showed up at the battle. He wanted to apologise, before he became trapped in stasis. It is thanks to the tireless efforts of many ponies that he was awoken once more. But the damage had been done. He could not trust himself to carry through with the prophecy."

She wiped at her eyes, recalling that first meeting. "When we awoke, triggered by Infinitum's return, we were so angry. We blamed the Crystal ponies, wished only to hurt them. But then he came. He was able to clear our minds of the anger that’d been stewing inside, he showed us the truth. That the crystal hearts power was dangerous to us, that it hadn’t been an act of war, merely celebration!"

“The Crystal Faire, I read about that!" One young colt said. Excel nodded.

"Does the Crystal Heart hurt you?" another asked.

"Not any more." Excel smiled "thanks to Infinitum. He gave us everything, every last memory of his past, and begged us to choose who we wanted for ourselves. We spent countless hours trying to choose among us who could possibly take his place, then we realised. Nopony COULD. He knows us because he IS us. All the knowledge of the Umbrum's is ingrained into him, as instinctive as your culture is to YOU. Without even realising it, he was fixing our minds and bodies, protecting us from harm. But the nightmare he endured left him unable to see what he could do, the good in him. He could not rest from punishing himself for the past, and it was taking a terrible toll on him."

"Sweet Celestia that’s a lot for one pony!" the caravan leader shook her head "heck, I feel I’m going crazy just trying to IMAGINE it!"

"So how he did become like he is now?" the stallion next to her asked "he didn’t seem scared or angry when he showed up. He just seemed strong."

"It hasn’t been an easy path," Excel sighed "it took a while before he finally accepted the crown, after his closest friend showed him what he was missing. Belief." she smiled as she recalled Discord "he spoke often to us about our Infinitum, telling us what he seen in him, when he finally laughed and began to trust again. In the end, even the ponies of the Crystal Empire seen what we did, and while it's not official, we virtually held the coronation out of the blue!"

"Hm, this wasn’t what I imagined at all!"

Excel smiled at the pony speaking "the papers can only tell so much, Infinitum's story is a hard one to process, and much has changed since he first awoke. But I believe he's finally coming to terms with it all, not an easy task."

They were all musing and murmuring amongst themselves when the door clicked silently open, and a lone pony ambled past the tables, a blanket draped over his back. This hid his wings, so it took the crowd several seconds to realise the sleepy pony that’d just walked in was Sombra himself.

Excel did a double take, bounding over to land in his path.

"Infinitum?" she queried.

Sombra yelped, backing up a step and his wings pomfed out, sending the blanket fluttering to the wooden floor.

"E-excel?" he stammered, as his sleepy gaze focused on her "what are you doing in the barracks?"

"You’re in the canteen, Infinitum." she said worriedly, seeing how dazed he looked. Sombra stared at her for a few seconds, while his sleepy brain did the maths. Then;

"Oh..assbaskets!" he groaned slowly "not again!"

The kids in the bewildered audience all creased up giggling at this inventive language. Sombra whipped round, wings tensing up again.

"What’s going on?" he asked drowsily.

"I was just explaining about the Umbrum, your highness." Excel studied him closely as he looked back at her again "I must ask; how long have you been sleepwalking, sire?"

Sombra sighed heavily, scratching behind his right ear "On and off, for awhile now. Usually I wake up outside, and can sneak back in before anypony sees. Woke up on the roof once, couldn't fathom how I got up there."

Some of the adults had to chuckle at the mental image.

Sombra wobbled over to the counter, batting at the switch to light the flame for the tea kettle with one hoof. He slumped at the counter, head resting on his forelegs.

The ponies he'd help rescue could see what Excel had been saying. Sombra was working himself to the bone to try and give them a future, regardless of how much it required of him. He seemed to them just like any other pony. Hard working, strong-

"Zzzz...."

And clearly exhausted.

"Infinitum!" Excel panicked, concerned by her King's exhaustion. Sombra sat bolt upright, vision focusing sleepily on her.

"Whassamatter Excel?" he groaned.

"I’m concerned you’re draining your magic too often Infinitum! Girder already told me of your tussle with that Wraith creature, now a herd of Timberwolves?"

"Timberwolves...right.." Sombra yawned "I blew 'em up!"

“Really?" one curious kid asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Sombra nodded, talking to the kettle "kaboom!"

Then he seemed to realise he had a captive audience, he went slightly red as he glanced over at the crowd of ponies he'd rescued.

"My apologies for this, I had thought the sleepwalking was over and done with. Sadly it seems it has not. I hope-" he broke off to yawn again "-you have er...everything you need?"

"We're fine, your Highness." the caravan leader had made her mind up. Going on what she'd seen and learnt, Sombra was a good pony now. He'd saved her group and their wagon.

Sombra managed a weak smile, cheered by the fact they didn’t seem so afraid of him. While Excel made him some tea, the ponies came over to speak with him.

"Woww...those wings are huuuge!" one little kid stared at at the Alicorn Umbrum. Sombra unfolded one wing and laid it flat to the floor so the kids could get a closer look.

"Is so soft!" a little filly giggled, then spotted something."Hey mister, you got a loose feather!"

"Hm?" Sombra blinked, seeing, sure enough, one crystal feather was sticking out at a funny angle.

"Ah, thank you, I should remove it so a new one will grow." Using his magic he tugged it free, holding it up to the light. It was pretty, reflecting little facets of light.

"Wow," the filly who'd pointed it out stared in awe "I don’t have ANY feathers in my collection as pretty as that!"

Sombra smiled softly, and set the feather in front of her "than you can keep it if you wish."

"Yay!" the kid held the feather carefully, entranced by its feel and colours.

"Thanks!" she beamed up at the big Umbrum, who nodded.

"Here you go, Infinitum," Excel set a cup of tea in front of her King "I advise you return to bed, you need to sleep. Have you spoken with the site doctor about this sleepwalking?"

"Ah, no, I thought it had stopped so it slipped my mind. I will seek his advice as soon as possible, Excel."

Excel sighed in relief.

At the back of the gathering, a young unicorn wearing a big hat that swamped his horn stared in an almost envious way at the King. Then he slumped atop the table, tuning the others out.

The bell clanging jolted Sombra out of his sleep. He sat up, stretched his back and wings, then redressed in his work clothes. Page Assist and Notepage were there to meet him, asking could they help?

Sombra studied these two new assistants he'd unexpectedly gained. They fidgeted nervously under their Kings unwavering gaze. They noted he was in his illusion form, complete with flowing shadow mane.

Certain they were paying attention, Sombra spoke.

"I came here to help construct this kingdom, so I should warn you now I won't be sitting around on my ass. We always welcome any extra help, so see Girder if you want to join a work crew. It is entirely up to you however, you do not have to."

“Yes sire.” They both chorused, bowing their heads respectfully. Sombra fidgeted a little, now they weren’t staring so intently at him. This really felt odd, but he knew he'd need to rely on his staff later on when the Kingdom was complete, so he'd better get used to it.

He trotted outside, expecting the two stallions to follow. They shared looks, then nodded. Their King was strong, dependable. It would be their task to be able to match his Highness so as to better serve him. If that meant getting down to work alongside his Majesty, so be it!

So they followed Sombra to see Girder, who gave them an easy task to start off with, helping with painting. They stumbled after the King, but anything they thought up that they figured they could do for him, seconds later Sombra would appear, already finishing the task. And there was SO much paint.

Girder put them on a clean-up crew while Sombra went off to help with some heavy lifting and cementing.

It was a bit of a culture shock to the two aides, and Sombra could see they were struggling to match him when he returned to check on them. They were looking a little twitchy, tripping over the brooms they were steering around.

So he took them aside, asking were they managing?

The two exchanged harried looks, and Sombra frowned.

“W-we're fine Your Majesty-!” The first blurted, and the second nodded rapidly. They studied the King's face, trying to see if he was angry. But the infamous poker face that'd first thrown Girder on meeting the King made a return now. Then the bigger Umbrum finally spoke, his voice even and calm.

"Listen," he said "I don’t want you thinking I will become angry if you cannot match up to what I’M doing. Everypony has different abilities, and you both look pretty strung out."

"We're sorry sire." both ponies exchanged looks and bowed.

Sombra gave a concerned sigh "what did I just say? You don’t need to worry. In fact, I have an idea of ways you can help. Follow me."

They duly nodded and trotted after their King as he traipsed through the site. He led them to Girder, and they hovered a few metres away as Sombra spoke to the foreman, who listened to what he said and nodded. Sombra approached his two aides again.

"I recalled Girder stating he was a little swamped dealing with inventory. You two managed more than admirably sorting out the visit by Cadance and Shining Armor. It seems to me your talents for organisation will be much better served here, and you can leave the heavy lifting to me."

Page Assist and Notepage exchanged looks of utter relief, which made Sombra chuckle.

“But sire, our job is to assist YOU-” Page objected.

“And you ARE.” Sombra insisted “Just because you’re not at my side constantly does not mean you are not doing something useful.”

"We thank you, Your Majesty!" Notepage said, glad to be away from that work. He wasn’t a fan of such mess, and couldn’t fathom how his highness could be so calm about his coat getting all rough and mucky! Even now, he noticed cement dust spattering the stallions side.

But Sombra just smiled happily, and the two realised he wasn’t what they'd expected as a King. He wasn’t standoffish, he wasn’t aloof like you would expect from one of such position. The Infinitum was an exalted position in their culture, and for their King to be so....NORMAL was a bit of a shock. They'd expected somepony a bit more entitled, but they'd just as swiftly learnt Sombra had settled closer to ground after what he'd been through, having been cared for by kind, hard-working ponies of all social standings during his recovery.

But for all their concerns, they realised the ponies here genuinely liked Sombra. The workers crowded round him, asking for his help, or simply wanting to show him the latest progress they’d made. Seeing how they smiled when Sombra praised their work settled any doubts they had of his rule. He may not act like a stereotypical King, but he was no fool, and knew intimately how best to care for the Umbrum's.

Notepage seen Page Assist bow too, and heard the other stallion speak.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. We will do our best to serve the position well!"

"That is all I ask." Sombra said calmly. Girder, seeing Sombra had finished explaining the task to the duo, motioned them to follow him. Sombra nodded his gratitude as he walked away.

"I hope you two are as good as his Highness alluded, I’m not kidding when I say we got invoices out the wazoo."

"His Majesty said that also, what is a wazoo?"

"It's a butt." Girder explained. That settled that then.

Sombra was feeling pretty pleased as he trotted back towards his assigned work site. Then a pony came charging out from round the corner, smacking right into him.

"Whoa there," Sombra helped the kid stand, using one wing to brush snow off his coat. "You OK?"

The Pony nodded, seeming more concerned with steadying his oversized hat. Sombra seen a flash of gold, something around the base of the kids horn. He frowned, raising a hoof to ask.

"Please don’t.." the kid mumbled, looking miserable "please don’t ask your m-Majesty."

Sombra faltered, worried by the kids withdrawn expression, the tearful expression on his face. Then he heard the young stallion's stomach grumble. The poor kid looked evermore embarrassed.

In a parody of a prior incident from the start of his recovery, Sombra's gurgled in retaliation, making the kid chuckle faintly.

"Oh don’t start a stomach fight with me!" Sombra joked, nodding his head towards a stack of wooden crates that they could sit on "Luckily for stomach wars, I always keep some ammunition in my saddlebag!"

He raised the flap, showing some cakes and sweets. "Miss Pie keeps mailing me tons of them. Would you like some?"

The Colt's eyes brightened, and he nodded.

"I assume your part of the Caravan rescued yesterday." Sombra asked as they sat down.

“Y-yeah, I seen you come swooping in. It was pretty badass." the young pony nodded.

"Bad..ass?" Sombra queried "pray tell, what does that mean?"

Seeing the Kings puzzled expression, as he accepted the cake from the monarch, the younger pony cleared his throat.

"It means cool. Awesome. Basically, it was pretty amazing."

Sombra analysed all this "I see. I'm still catching up current language."

"There's a lot of it." the kid smiled.

"What is your name?" Sombra asked.

"I'm Crossfire, your Highness." The kid seemed a little cheerier, but still subtly withdrawn.

"How long has your group been travelling?"

“Ages, man! We came from far in the wastes, but it's just too inhospitable out there. We're looking for a new home."

“Is this all of you?"

"No, there's loads waiting back home. We're just scouts. We left in search of a new spot to live, that and to bring back supplies. We're running really low."

“Is it critical?" Sombra asked. The kid jolted, recognising that term.

"T-that's what my mother said, she's second in command next to the mare you met last night. My little sister was the one you gave that crystal feather to. She loves that thing, I've never seen a crystal pony, like, literally crystal." He cocked his head to the side, seeming more confident "are you the only one that can change from one to the other?"

Sombra smiled faintly, noting the change in subject but letting it slide, nodding "I was raised in an orphanage, believed to be just a normal pony thanks to this spell. I've lived so long in this guise, I’m still getting used to the Umbrum form. My ponies don’t seem to mind, they recognise me in both forms."

They cleared out the rest of the stash of goodies in Sombra's saddlebags in short order.

"Thanks." Crossfire looked better, but he still seemed haunted. Sombra again found his gaze moving to the hat the pony used to hide his horn.

Crossfire had found the King to be sympathetic, far different then he'd expected. He didn’t think a busy pony like him would have time for a kid, yet he'd not batted an eyelid, just offered him cake.

He reached a hoof up to his cap and Sombra hoped he could find out what was making this pony look so depressed.

Then they heard a voice calling, and the kids hoof shot back down to his side. A mare, obviously his mother, came hurrying around the corner and hesitated a moment. She stared at the cap, then her son, then last but not least she looked for anything worrying in the Umbrum Alicorn's expression. But Sombra seemed surprised only by her entrance, and smiled kindly.

"Crossfire!" the mare said crossly, as her son sighed and seemed to sink back into gloom again "you shouldn’t be bothering his majesty!"

"It has been no bother ma'am," Sombra said kindly as he and her son approached. He looked in her eyes and seen she was obviously worried about her son, although he couldn't help wonder if there was more to it? "I was just enquiring about some linguistic anomalies."

“Some what's?" she blinked.

"He was asking me to explain some modern phrases, ya know, like slang words from back home." Crossfire elaborated.

"I see." She looked perplexed as to why he'd need to know this.

Sombra chuckled "I work around ponies who constantly cycle through a vocabulary that is much more fantastical then my own. I merely wish to understand so I wont have to keep looking blank when somepony says something I cannot understand. Strange as it may seem, I am certain it will serve its purpose once the new Empire is open to the rest of Equestria."

"Of course!" now she understood "well I’m glad my son could be of use, your highness. I'm afraid I need his help for now, however."

"I'll see you 'round." Crossfire sighed, and Sombra couldn’t resist a joke.

"You will if I keep eating this much cake!" the King coughed. Crossfire realised the joke and started sniggering, making his mother roll her eyes.

"Boys and their humour." she sighed, but at least her smile seemed more genuine now.

Sombra bid them farewell, wondering if there was some way he could help? What the kid was describing felt similar to part of his own past...

Next, he went to see the new platoon assigned there by Vorak. He wondered if they were comfortable suddenly being transplanted, and made a note to bring it up once he located the one in charge.

But he was pre-empted by the Gargoyle squad leader greeting him personally soon as he stepped in the door.

"We didn’t have time to talk yesterday, your majesty, might I talk with you now?"

"Of course!" Sombra agreed, and the leader bowed gratefully. They walked through the crowds to settle in a far corner, where the Gargoyle Captain brewed some traditional tea, which Sombra found to be very delicious.

"I am Captain Corona. Our King spoke to all his forces at length about you, King Sombra" the leader stated "He spoke of what you did for him and the Queen, and his gratitude for the getsure."

Sombra realised they were talking about the "forgiving their sons crimes" matter.

"They had no blame to bear," he said sincerely "they loved their sons dearly, but Scorpan's choices were his own. When they asked me to forgive THEM for his actions, I realised they should not have to bear that weight. We should all face up to our mistakes, difficult as it may seem."

Corona noticed the flicker of regret in the King's expression, and nodded. King Vorak had explained who Sombra was and most importantly how hard the pony had fought to change his life. This beings actions in his past weren’t pleasant, but he'd managed to earn a second chance, those from the empire he'd enslaved had even forgiven him. This was a path young master Scorpan could have gained, had he not chosen to try and kill Sombra and destroy the Princesses of Equestria! He personally admired a being that could make a fresh start from what most would not recover from.

King Vorak had spoken of Sombra with enormous respect, and even the Queen seemed happier now then she had when the news had first reached them of their second son's crimes.

Sombra shook his head to clear it, then smiled "It is thanks to the generosity of the King and Queen in giving the research Scorpan had gained on my species, that Celestia and Discord were able to wake me up."

"It is our respect for your willingness to forgive Scorpan's actions that made all of us here volunteer to join this detachment. King Vorak asked all his soldiers who would take on this task, and we were selected as the best of the best. We hope we will be able to serve you well, your majesty." He bowed formally "While we are under your command, we will serve you as we do King Vorak; What are your orders?"

Sombra blinked, a bit surprised that they didn’t prefer supervision by their own leader? The Gargoyle read the pony’s surprised expression and smiled wryly;

"I will keep these soldiers in line your majesty, that is MY role. But as our Kings appointed equal, "Captain", it is your orders we will follow. King Vorak asked we give you THIS." he opened a pouch and withdrew a stylized military badge similar to his own, inlaid with a red ruby "it is a sign of your role to us."

When the Umbrum King accepted the role, the shimmering ornamentation was pinned to his cloak.

"Whatever task you have for us Your Majesty, were ready to go." The leader saluted. Sombra returned it, thinking this was teaching him a LOT about military management too. More things his future Kingdom would need.

"Well, I hope you and your troop have no objection to a LOT of hard work. We can always use a helping paw with the building."

"No fear there Your Majesty! We're trained to be tough, the empire we come from is a harsh mistress. We will not disappoint."

Sombra smiled gratefully, and added "there is one other task I don’t doubt you could greatly assist with. With the Timberwolf attacks on the rise, there is no denying security needs a boost. We do not have a full compliment of guards for the situation, and we urgently need to dispatch a group to the woods north of here. There is a caravan of refugees resting here that came close to being wolf food!"

The leader took this in, seeing the concern in the King's face.

"If I can speak with the head of your guard here, we will see to it those cretins trouble this place no longer!" he boasted. Sombra looked relieved, and asked Corona to follow him, they’d go see the guard now.

The other gargoyles and centaurs bowed respectfully once more as the King walked by, studying him surreptitiously. He was an imposing figure, built like a solid brick wall. Very much the warrior type.

With the guard and the new troops working together on a security rotation plan, Sombra set up a set of beacons much as he'd done before when they were all out searching for Key. They'd be needed for the patrol to the forest. With the low visibility lately, he didn’t want to risk any losses.

This meant flying out around the area where he'd seen the caravan, and flying over the forest mentioned by the fleeing ponies.

Luckily it didn’t require as much magic, now he'd had time to go over the spell in his mind. Instead of powering them independently, he could store a charge inside them so they'd need topping up, but at least it wasn’t draining him steadily.

Task done with, he flew back to the site.

By days end, Page Assist and Notepage were tired but certain the King would be pleased with their work. Sure enough, they were rewarded with their Kings approval and thanks for their efforts. They joined the monarch for dinner, mulling over what the day following the King had taught them.

They had anticipated it would be a challenging job being trialled as the Kings first set of staff. They were told by Excel that their job was to take care of Sombra, ensure whatever he needed was sorted without him having to worry. Anticipate his needs. They'd expected him to need their help.

They HADN'T expected him to already be so proficient at so many duties.

Crossfire wrapped his blanket around himself and snuck out of the dorm he was sleeping in with his fellow stallions and colts and scaled a rooftop to get some fresh air.

All was silent and he thought himself alone, until he seen something out of the corner of his eye. It appeared to be a pony- wait, why was the King up here?

He edged his way over to the next rooftop, glad the buildings were close together. Hopping the gap, he crept closer. Sombra was just sitting there, his back to the kid.

"Your Highness?" when the pony didn’t stir, Crossfire cleared his throat and tried again.

"King Sombra, sir..?" But the pony still didn’t respond. Puzzled, Crossfire peered round and realised he was sleepwalking, or sleep-sitting to be accurate. He was fast asleep, just sat there.

He dimly recalled that other Umbrum saying something about sleepwalking during the meeting last night. So now, with a deep breath, he shook Sombra's shoulder.

"Whuh-?!" Sombra's body went rigid and he stumbled to his feet. He'd have near slipped off the roof with the position he was facing, but for Crossfire hooking his forelegs around his neck and pulling him back.

"Kid?" Sombra stared blurredly at his rescuer "was I-?"

“Sleepwalking, yeah." Crossfire looked relieved "you were so still, it gave me a fright!"

"I apologise if I gave you a shock. The doctor has expressed concern over these late night meanders-" he cut off "wait, how come you are here? Mistake it not for ingratitude, I am glad you woke me, but why are you up here alone?"

The kid looked downcast and bit his lip. Sombra wondered if a trade would be in order.

"I will tell you the reason behind my sleepwalking if it will help you get what's troubling you off your chest? It doesn’t seem anyone in your group can help."

Crossfire looked up at the King, seeing the concern and honesty on his face, and nodded.

They sat atop the roof, with Sombra's huge wings unfurled to act as a barrier to shield his young conversation partner from the chill wind.

Sombra started off, explaining about his sleepwalking.

"When I first awoke here, back in Equestria, I was held prisoner in a dark cave. Ever since then, I have been averse to not just caves, but sometimes cramped environments. It is not as bad now, but it was originally much worse."

“That sounds horrible!" Crossfire shivered.

Sombra looked saddened a moment "it was," he said a last "for a long time it made me physically sick to endure contact, and when I first tried venturing into a cave it caused such panic I fled and was regrettably sick. It is easier now, but I would still avoid such places, were it not for one thing."

“What's that?" Crossfire asked.

"What good can I be to an empire of Umbrum's, if someday my fears cause me to fail to act when needed? I simply cannot let it happen, so I have to be rid of it sooner or later."

"Wow, that’s a pretty awesome goal." Crossfire sighed "I’m not that brave."

"How do you know?"

"Because all I cause is trouble, your majesty!" Crossfire blurted. He took a deep breath, whipping the hat off. Sombra stared in surprise.

"Is that?"

“It's a suppressor."

Sombra recalled thinking he may have to wear one back when his magic first returned, and shivered.

"Why? Those things aren’t exactly recommended, save as a last resort."

“My magic IS last resort material. It's uncontrollable. I've started numerous fires by accidental misfire, my spells tend to go overkill. In the end, my parents took the mayor's advice, and found this thing. They said it was for the best."

"When did this start?" Sombra asked.

"After my last birthday."

Sombra frowned "a growth surge? My magic manifested like that, only I let it loose on purpose because I felt betrayed. Your case does not seem that way."

“Sure feels like my parents betrayed me. They turned their backs and stuck their heads in the sand. I've spent countless nights trying to figure it out, but I really don't know how it happened!" Crossfire sniffled, hating the suppressor "my parents don’t know what to do, they’re afraid to ask for help. They think its a sign they failed as parents. Our whole village is obsessed with keeping up a front, but who the buck's it FOR?!" he felt himself starting to shake, then tears welled up.

Sombra was shocked to see the kid crying, seeing how he blamed himself. How his parents didn't seem to want a cure or assistance. Surely somepony in this day and age could understand?

Crossfire felt embarrassed about behaving like a child, but the King's unexpected sympathy was something he hadn't encountered in so long. He felt a hoof pat his shoulder, and looked up into the King's concerned eyes.

"There’s no need for upset. You have done nothing to be ashamed of. Would you wish me to speak with your parents?"

"No!" Crossfire gasped. Seeing Sombra flinch in surprise, he back-peddled "its not that I don’t appreciate it your majesty, b-but trust me, not even YOU can get through to them. They’re pretty set in their ways. Thanks for letting me say something, at least."

"It is the least that I could do." Sombra assured him, but it concerned him how down this kid was. He had a very low opinion of himself. It reminded Sombra of how he'd beaten himself up for so long, treating himself as little more than a monster.

Seeing the kid was shivering, Sombra suggested they both retire to their beds.

"Thanks, for everything." Crossfire smiled as he opened the door, Sombra using his magic to muffle the sound of their voices "it was nice to talk to somepony who understands."

Sombra nodded, watching the kid sneak back to bed before he returned to his own barracks. He dozed off rapidly, the kids situation still on his mind.

He got up early, sneaking off in lieu of breakfast to see if he could catch Crossfire and ask a further question about the Caravan's situation. As he approached the door, somepony came running out. Mindful of his encounter yesterday, the Alicorn danced aside as she skidded to a halt just past him.

"Your Highness?" she sounded genuinely surprised as she spotted who it was.

"Are you OK, miss?" he asked, recognising her as Crossfire's mother.

"No, I’m not." She hesitated, then blurted "I lost my jewellery box!"

“Oh dear. Where abouts do you think you lost it?" Sombra asked. "On site?"

"I thought it might have been back when we encountered YOU, but everypony says you picked up all the packages when you fixed the caravan. I think it might have been back in the forest."

"Where you encountered the Timberwolves?" Sombra filled in. She nodded, looking upset and frustrated.

"I will ask Girder if he can instruct the guards to keep a look out, we have intent to send a patrol out tomorrow to survey that area. Would that put your mind at ease?"

Her eyes brightened, she seemed startled but happy.

"Really? You'd do that?" she sounded relieved "thank you your highness."

"No problem miss." Sombra figured he'd leave the questions for later, he needed to give this new proposal to Girder. He asked her for a description, writing it all down in a notebook he kept in in his saddlebags.

Just as she was thanking him once more, the door was flung open and Crossfire came out. He shot right by Sombra, not seeing the bigger pony. He disappeared in between the buildings, and Sombra turned back to the door in time to see a pony that was easily identified as Crossfire's father push through the door.

"That young pony is just imposs-your highness!" He snapped to attention, not wanting this royalty to see anything was the matter. It wasn't proper to air such troubles in public. Then he seen his wife, and asked had she found anypony to help her?

"Actually, his highness has offered to get the guard to keep a look out on the patrol of that forest!"

"Oh! Well, much appreciated your highness!" The father nodded sternly "I apologise for our sons behaviour, he's always been a little...rambunctious."

“No need for apologies.” Sombra said calmly.

Crossfire's father swallowed uneasily, sensing something in Sombra's stance that said he wasn’t buying it. Did the stallion suspect something was odd about their son?

In an effort to distract the stallions attention, he thanked him for the rescue, saying he'd never seen anything like it!

Sombra nodded, saying they were more than welcome and if they needed anything they were to come to him or Girder. As he walked away, the wife trotted over to her husband, asking in a low whisper that the wind carried to Sombra's ears as he walked away.

"Honey, don’t you think he could help? He's got magical capability beyond anything anypony has seen before, according to Excel. Cant we, I mean he's an ALICORN-?"

"We cant go bothering a King, my dear. I'm sure he has more urgent responsibilities. No, we have to deal."

The rest was lost, and Sombra was fast becoming ever more concerned about the kid.

He hunted high and low, eventually coming across a pony who'd seen Crossfire hiding behind the back of the food hall. Sombra tiptoed down there, but the colt was gone. Sombra was starting to feel distinctly uneasy. He searched everywhere, but Crossfire had given him the slip. Figuring he needed some space, he headed back towards the work site.

He got a few scattered tasks done when his path brought him across the kids situation once again.

Midway to the storerooms he seen a small crowd, seen Girder amongst them. So he trotted over and spotted it was Crossfire's parents.

"You-" The husband was frantic, and latched onto the King as the crowd parted to let him through "you were talking to my son the other day! Did you see him today?"

Sombra shook his head "what’s happened?"

"He’s missing!" the wife cried. Somber felt a jolt of panic. He asked if he could speak with them privately. Girder dispersed the crowd, but stayed nearby in case of trouble.

"What was the argument this morning over?" Sombra asked bluntly. "Is there a reason he'd have raced off?"

"Well," the father blustered "no offence your majesty, but that’s my business and my wife’s. You needn’t concern yourself-"

"I’m afraid I must." Sombra said sharply "I have spoken with your son. He came across me having a sleepwalking episode, stopped me toppling off a roof!"

Girder made a distinctly concerned noise, but didn’t interrupt.

"He was out at night?" the mother asked.

"Yes, he couldn’t sleep. I noticed he seemed upset, and asked did he wish to talk. What he revealed had me concerned."

"That ingrate, how dare-" the father began, but was cut off by Sombra's authoritative tones.

"The young pony was crying, saying he could not talk to either of you for fear of what, I don’t know. I offered assistance, but he became scared of you finding out. I am not here to judge, but do not presume me to be a fool, SIR. Your child is missing, this area isn’t safe yet. NOW I will ask of you once more: What. Happened. This is vital, Social impropriety be damned!"

The father realised that a) he wasn't going to fool Sombra or throw him off the scent and b) his wife was right, it seemed Sombra DID know more then they guessed.

He faced down the King, seeing the determination in the pony’s eyes he realised the stallion was right, finding the missing colt was far more important.

"If that is the case Your Majesty, then I presume you know about his magic."

Sombra nodded "I know he's labouring under a suppressor, his magic appears to be...erratic."

"We cant control it!" The wife looked saddened "after the fires happened, when he tried to control it himself- we had no choice!"

"Once he is found, I will ensure some other alternative is located." Sombra frowned "did he give any hint this morning?"

"No, he just said he was going to prove me wrong, that he could be useful!" the father fretted.

"Useful...?" the wording made Sombra pause.

"Yes, it was after his mother asked if he'd moved her jewellery box. I asked him to help us find it and he said why couldn’t he try his magic," the father sighed "I told him no way in Equestria was I letting such unstable power lose in such a crowded place. He got upset, saying he hated me, and that why would he have to leave behind the one pony that'd listened to him when we move on."

He trailed off, looking up at Sombra "I see now he meant you, your highness."

Sombra ran everything through his head. The conversation from earlier, where Crossfire's mother had mentioned the loss of her jewellery box.

The husband and wife seen the King go pale, a look of frantic concern settling on his face that had Girder scurrying over to ask what the matter was?

"The forest..." Sombra panicked "What if he went out to the forest?"

Crossfire's mother looked terrified, and her husband wasn’t faring much better.

"Please, you have to help us find him!" the father blurted, begging Sombra.

Sombra looked at Girder, who nodded.

"Go get 'im Your Majesty. I’ll assemble a team to follow after you."

Sombra nodded. With a flash of magic he shifted to his crystal form, his armor settling over his body a moment after. With a whip-crack his wings extended, their glittering surface making light scatter. Without hesitation he took off, disappearing into the sky.

"What can we do?" Crossfires mother asked.

"His highness knows what he's doing." Girder said as he turned to go fetch a guard team. "The best you can do is wait here. If anypony can locate him, I’d place my chips on his highness."

Sombra shot off as fast as he could, following his own beacons all the way to the forest. His heart was in his throat, and he hoped against hope the young pony was alright!

Crossfire could hardly believe his luck. He'd FOUND it. After trekking all the way over here, he'd crept through the forest, hearing no signs of Timberwolves. He'd assumed Sombra had blown them all up during that fight!

Then he'd come across the box. It was a little dented, but still locked, still in one piece.

Just as he was turning to go, he heard a soft rumble, heard twigs snapping. He turned slowly, seeing glowing eyes in the undergrowth.

--I thought they were all gone..!!-- he panicked, backing up against a massive rock. He tried to edge around it, but growls from behind him made him realise he was surrounded. Turning back, he seen one of them leap from the cover of the trees, jaws opened wide-

Then it slammed face first into a shield.

"Sorry, you walking lumps of firewood, but he's not on the menu."

Crossfires heart lifted, he knew that voice!

Sure enough, a familiar Alicorn dropped down from the trees above, landing between the shielded Crossfire and the wolves. They backed up, growling subtly.

"Get out of here!" Sombra fluffed his wings up to maximum, making himself as big as possible. Some of the wolves shifted back, looking uneasy. but the new one that had clearly won the dominance fight decided against common sense and charged for Sombra.

Crossfire huddled under the shield as Sombra blasted the first wolf back, which only served to enrage it further. The whole pack launched into the fray. Blasts of searing purple magic ricocheted off tree trunks, blasting chunks off others.

Two of the wolves were downed by the powerful magic seconds into the fight. But it was a lot harder to fight in such close quarters. The mass of trees made it hard for Sombra to move freely. He swung one of his powerful wings and clocked one wolf across the face, cracking its jaw. Crossfire watched in panic, franticly tugging at the suppressor on his horn. He couldn’t let the King get ripped apart by wolves because of this...damn thing!

He felt a heart starting to build in his horn, then a sharp pain that nearly made him black out. He fell back, dazed, hearing crackling sounds. Then he seen something that tipped him over the edge.

Sombra was pinning the alpha wolf to the ground, wrestling with it. His wings were flapping erratically, trying to aid his balance. One of the stunned wolves got up, setting its target on the crystalline King. It charged Sombra's side, pitching the entirety of its hefty weight and smashing it into Sombra. The Alicorn was thrown back, coming to a halt against the base of a big tree. He was dazed, one wing pinned under him. The wolves closed in-

“No!” crossfire screamed, he couldn’t let this happen-

Sombra seen through fuzzy vision as a blast of bright blue magic crackled through the air, striking the closest wolf and disintegrating it. Two more met this fate, as all eyes turned to Crossfire.

He'd destroyed the shield and stood free, a barely functioning suppressor still on his horn. The thing was cracked and broken.

"Leave. Him. ALONE!!" Crossfire shouted "you brainless walking chumps!"

They ran towards him now, and he felt his horn fill with magic once more. It felt good to finally set it free. He seen Sombra stagger to his feet, renewed strength in his eyes.

The wolves soon realised they were outmatched. Between this targets sudden magic surge, and the recovered Sombra, they were outmatched.

Soon the forest floor was littered with shards of wood, the air filled with a tang of powerful magic...

Crossfire stood, heart going a million miles an hour. Then the suppressor crackled, and he cried out in pain. Sombra raced over, examining the device and seeing it was now severely malfunctioning.

"Help me!" Crossfire whimpered.

"It's alright, just hold still. I can fix this."

Crossfire's heart ached. Suppressed once again, right? But if it meant the pain would stop...

He nodded, closing his eyes.

"Focus on your breathing, this will sting a moment." Sombra apologised.

At first his intent WAS to fix the thing. But then he thought about what he'd just seen. And realised this may just be the turning point...

Crossfire felt the other pony's horn press to his, sensed the Alicorn's magic-

Despite being warned about it, he still yelped when a stab of pain hit his head. He back-peddled, gasping.

"Geez...y-you weren’t kidding!"

"Sorry, it required more power than expected." Sombra was watching him curiously.

"So, that’s what my magic is like." Crossfire sighed. With the suppressor active, he allowed himself to relax.

"Its powerful, you clearly have unique magic."

“That's not how my parents see it." Crossfire teared up "I wanted to find the box, so they'd maybe praise me for once. instead of acting like I’m a disgrace."

"You're not a disgrace. You're clearly intelligent-"

"Then why don't they see that?!" Crossfire yelled, looking up at the King "why do they only see me as a...a monster!!"

Sombra felt a jab of sympathy.

"Trust me, Master Crossfire, I understand how that feels. For a long time I convinced myself I was second class, nothing. When I found out my Umbrum's wanted me to be their King, I refused at first. I did not think they deserved to bear my curse, after all I’d done."

"What did they say to that?" Crossfire asked.

"They refused to buy it. They found a way to show me the good I had already done, and was capable of doing. Eventually I realised the past didn’t mean I couldn’t have a future. Even the Crystal ponies, the ones who had no reason to forgive me, banded together to convince me to finally accept the crown after Excel asked for their help. Now, I’m watching a new Empire grow from the ground up."

"Wow, sounds like it was rough." Crossfire said softly. Sombra nodded.

"I know it is hard to shake the misconceptions we end up bearing, those around us don’t know how to handle us. So they try to fix us. But we're not broken, we're just different, we deserve our chance. Sometimes we learn bad lessons, and these can colour our world for the worse. I know it is not easy shaking these chains loose. But you deserve to be more confident in yourself, and I believe you CAN control your magic."

Crossfire sighed "I wish my parents were as accepting as your Umbrum's. But they never see me as anything but a nuisance to their standing in a fading society, an embarrassment of a unicorn with uncontrolled magic. I cant last a day without my magic sparking off or short circuiting."

Sombra smiled gently "I think you’ll feel different soon enough."

"That’s kind of you, your highness, but I doubt it." Crossfire sighed. Sombra stepped forward, raising his wings.

"Lets get out of here. Do you fancy a flight?"

Crossfire's mood lifted.

Seconds later and they were in the air, the younger pony riding atop Sombra's back, forelegs looped around his neck. The jewellery box was stashed in Sombra's saddlebag. They swooped over the woods, Sombra spotted a platoon of guards about to enter the forest. He swooped down, calling out to them.

"Your Majesty!" They looked relieved to see both him and the shaken Crossfire, and followed him on the ground as Sombra soared back towards the building site.

The closer they got to landing, the more tense he sensed Crossfire become. But he smiled to himself, his plan would hopefully mean a change for this kid.

Crossfire's mother and father were pacing about in front of the sleeping area, Girder waiting with them, alongside Excel. Then there was a whoosh of air and Sombra drifted down from the sky. The rest of the caravan swarmed around him and his passenger as Sombra helped set Crossfire on his hooves.

The young pony tensed as he seen his parents, but was surprised when they ran over and hugged him.

Sombra relaxed, seeing the colts parents so happy to see him returned safe. But it still bothered him that Crossfire was feeling the way he was.

When Crossfire removed the box form Sombra's saddlebag and gave it to his mother, she hugged him again, saying something about him being worth more then her jewellery, but she was thankful nonetheless.

Sombra opened his mouth to suggest Crossfire be checked over by a doctor, in case of shock. He stepped towards them, but this sudden movement reminded him too late of injuries sustained in the fight. He'd forgotten about them in the heat of the battle, and the relief of escape. But now, as he stepped forward, those nearby heard an audible CRACK, and seen the Alicorn stumble and turn several shades paler.

"Y-your highness?" The father ceased awkwardly trying to talk to his son, and the gathering of ponies all focused on Sombra. Sombra sat down, teleporting the armor to his spot in the sleeping quarters where he always kept it.

He peered at his side quickly, but seeing Crossfire looking panicked he flattened the wing down and laughed, trying to make an excuse about it just being the armor-

Crossfire dove forward, carefully but urgently lifting the pony’s wing and feeling his heart lodge in his mouth as he seen a painful looking crack carved diagonally across Sombra's right side, reaching up to the base of the wing.

"I knew it," he panicked, his voice wobbling "you got hurt because of ME-"

"HOLD IT." Sombra said sternly enough that even Crossfire's parents jumped slightly, Sombra set a hoof under the upset pony's chin, making the kid look up at him. Crossfire was surprised to see the King's stern but sympathetic expression, expecting him to be angry.

"This occurred because a Timberwolf foolishly decided to pick a fight, along with several of its dim witted fellows. I'd be full of so many fractures I’d resemble a relief map of Equestria, had you not shoved that thing off me." he smile at the mopey Crossfire, who blinked up at him.

"But my magic-" The younger stallion said anxiously, staring at the ground to let his mane hide his face, hoping his parents wouldn't hear "-wont you have to tell them?"

Sombra shook his head, and lowered his voice "just trust me a little longer, alright?" he asked "can you do that?"

Crossfire nodded. He wasn't sure what Sombra was up to, but the King had been kind to him.

"Are you alright, your majesty?" Girder came over, examining the cut "last time you had a cut on this form, it translated to a broken wing!"

"It's alright, I do not feel this one is as serious as that, it does not go as deep. Perhaps a broken rib or two at most."

"Can't you heal it in that form?" Somepony asked. Sombra hesitated, and sighed sadly.

"Not that I can say for sure, it is regrettable that a large portion of my memories were corroded by imprisonment. Even the other Umbrum are still piecing things about our species. I'm trying to figure out how my magic seems capable of diverting itself to healing serious injuries without my telling it to. I seek a way to control that ability, but so far it has eluded me."

"The Infinitum clause." One pony said.

"Basically, yes.." Sombra smiled. He got to his feet, sending Girder an apologetic glance.

"I apolog-"

Girder raised a hoof before Sombra could finish "Focus on fixing yourself up your Highness, don’t worry. There’ll still be a load of work to do once you’ve healed! We got orders out the wazoo to process!"

Sombra looked relieved, and slowly got to his hooves. With the adrenaline wearing off he felt a bit stiff limbed.

He seen Crossfire be guided inside and smiled, his plan was unfolding just fine. It was a bit risky, but he got the feeling it'd be OK.

He settled down on his bed, ruminating on his healing capabilities. He HAD to develop a way to figure out his ability as an infinitum. The strange healing ability had worked twice now, unintentionally. When he'd tried to remove his wings, and the fight with the Timberwolf the Wraith had possessed. He closed his eyes, focusing on the injury on his side.

Unnoticed by him his whole body began to shimmer softly. Magic flowed from his horn down to his side. the fracture shone, then began, slowly, with minute crackling sounds, began to seal itself. Sombra gritted his teeth, feeling the strain, but sensing it was working. He pushed it further, almost done-

There! He felt it reach the end of the cut, and not a second too soon! He felt extremely light headed, and mistakenly tried to stand up only to wobble and collapse over onto his bed.

This was how the doctor found him. He took in the barely moving unconscious Umbrum and panicked, checking his pulse and listening to his breathing..

He jumped back as Sombra stirred, lifting his head and staring blearily at the doctor.

"Whassamatter?" he mumbled.

"I found you passed out sire, what happened? Girder said you’d injured your side, but I see no fractures on you!"

"You don’t-?" Sombra craned round to his side. he took in his neatly healed side and bolted to his hooves with a triumphant whoop! Then wobbled unsteadily, complaining about the spinning room.

"Sit DOWN, Your Majesty!" the doctor insisted. Sombra plopped down on his rear without complaint, still smiling however. The doc checked him over, but was satisfied his patient was physically fine, just a bit tired. He insisted Sombra take the rest of the day off, and he'd check him over in the morning. Sombra happily took the advice, and was fast asleep by the time the door shut behind the doctor.

He slept right through until evening time, his magic slightly replenished by the nap. He changed back to his flesh and blood illusion form, noting there wasn’t even a sign of the injury he'd healed in his Umbrum form. He'd found the answer he sought!

He got up and decided to finish his plan. He walked over to the building the ponies in the caravan were staying in.

He knocked at the door and the caravan leader opened it, doing a double take at the Alicorn standing patiently there.

"Your highness?" she asked "what brings you here?"

"I wished to speak to Crossfire and his parents-"

As he spoke, he caught voices drifting over.

"It's too dangerous!"

“But dad, you heard him! My magic kicked that wolfs ass!"

“Watch your language Crossfire-!"

"Ah," Sombra nodded "looks like I got here just in time!"

The Caravan leader looked baffled, but something about the King's expression told her he knew what he was doing. So she stepped back, allowing the oddly enigmatic ruler to stride in, and over to the arguing group. Everypony was gathering around the fight, thus nopony noticed Sombra move closer.

"Why don't you trust me, the King did!"

"He replaced the suppressor, he cant trust you that much!" His father blustered.

"He probably only did that because he knew you'd get like this!"

The kid sniffled, hating his parents for failing to see in him what Sombra had.

"That suppressor is a necessity and that's final!"

"Actually," Sombra spoke up, making everypony turn to face him "I have evidence to the contrary."

"Y-your highness!" the mother's jaw dropped as she beheld the Alicorn pony. Sombra smiled kindly, but there was an edge of cunning there too.

"What do you mean, evidence?" the father blustered. Sombra wasn’t a pony you could easily shoo away or intimidate, so he made no move to hamper the King as Sombra walked over to stand by Crossfire. The younger pony looked up at him, flushed and upset.

"Don’t worry." Sombra assured him. Then he sat himself down, cleared his throat and addressed the two parents, although it pretty much everypony included given the closeness of the crowd.

"He isn’t lying. That many Timberwolves in close quarters proved a difficult quarry. They pack quite a punch when they head-butt you clean across a clearing. I'd have had more than a minor fracture had your son not intervened. He overloaded the suppressor to save ME, a fact I am indebted to him for."

He continued, as everypony began murmuring, hearing Sombra backing up Crossfire's tale.

"His magic prevented serious injury to us both. I haven’t seen power like his before, but I don’t doubt he is capable of impressive magic. It was at this point, seeing the control he exerted when somepony's life was in danger, that I put my theory to the test. You see, I didn’t fix the suppressor, I merely simulated the sensation."

"What do you mean?" Crossfire backed up so he could look up at Sombra "It's right here." he tapped it with his hoof, making a faint ringing sound.

Sombra smiled and closed his eyes.

With a flash of magic and a faint popping sound, the suppressor wavered and disappeared.

"A fake. It was a simulacrum spell."

Jaws hit the floor with such speed Sombra could’ve heard a moth fart in the silence.

"The...whahuuh-?" The father recovered first, gaping at the King like he was crazy, waving a hoof at him "you did WHAT?! Are you crazy?"

Sombra's wings lifted a little, then settled down, as if emulating a shrug.

"No, but I have been. And trust me, this is sane by my standards." Sombra took the insult rather calmly, entirely unfazed.

He looked at Crossfire next, smiling apologetically "I hope you will forgive the deception. But I needed to see if the key truly was your own self-confidence."

Crossfire stared at him as this sunk in "you mean this whole time, since you rescued me, I haven’t had a suppressor on at all?"

Sombra smiled, and withdrew something from the inside pocket of his cloak. It was the original suppressor. Mangled and fried, he set it on the fathers outstretched hoof, which was still pointing at him in outrage.

"Not even for a second. I hope you can accept my apology for tricking you-"

He was cut off as Crossfire, tears of utter joy in his eyes, sprang forward, flinging his forelegs around Sombra's middle and hugging him tightly. Tears rolled down his cheeks, soaking into the pony’s fur.

"Thank you," he sniffled "nopony's ever given this much of a chance before!" he broke down crying completely then, and Sombra patted his back kindly, letting him cry it out.

Crossfire's parents stared at the short-circuited suppressor on the fathers hoof, then at their son, who was crying on the Umbrum King's shoulder. They seen Sombra's calm, assured acceptance and their son's relief at finally having somepony trust him.

After a minutes full-out crying, Crossfire sniffled and sat back, wiping his eyes hurriedly.

"Feeling better?" Sombra asked. Crossfire nodded, rubbing at his horn once more, habitually seeking the suppressor.

The crowd took this in with stunned shock. This whole time the young stallion had been amongst them, entirely unsuppressed and nothing had happened, no sudden fires or things exploding. And somehow, this strange King had figured it out in a day!

"Crossfire..." He looked up at his mothers voice, seeing her hovering close by, as if afraid to disturb him from the King's side.

"See?" The young pony said, looking determined to get his point across "HE gave me a chance, why wouldn’t you?"

"We didn’t know it was possible-"

"You never even TRIED!" Crossfire cried.

"I know you’re angry, and you’ve every right to be." His father stepped forward "we were scared, we didn’t know what to do with such magic. Nothing like it has ever been seen in our family, our clan before!"

"Your Majesty," the mother bowed gratefully "if I may ask, how did you know this would work?"

Sombra smiled "because I realised what he wanted most, a CHANCE. Sometimes all we need is somepony to believe we can do the impossible, and battle through it."

He smiled sorrowfully "if you spend all your time believing your a danger, that you’ll hurt everypony around you, you only end up hurting yourself. But the problem will always be there, nothing will change until you face it. And sometimes, all it takes is one pony to make you feel grounded enough to try."

Crossfire detected something in his words "Did that happen to you too?" he asked "I know that crystal lady pony mentioned things were pretty bad.."

Sombra nodded, gaze going distant as he recalled it "With Scorpan gone, and the Umbrum's clamouring for freedom. I was convinced if they stayed around ME they’d be in danger, given my past. But the one who became my closest friend, he kept repeating one particular word. Every time I yelled at him, told him I was no ruler to the Umbrum, all he would say was "YET". And he kept on repeating this, no matter how frustrated I got, and in the end..."

He lifted one hoof, and the crown appeared balanced on it. Crossfire's eyes and the rest of the crowd's were on stalks. They'd briefly seen him wearing it when he'd rescued them, but seeing it up close was interesting.

"Wow, it's so cool." Crossfire stared. Sombra chuckled and jokingly set it on the young pony's head.

"Feels heavy..." Crossfire noted "Do you notice it much?"

"Not any more," Sombra smiled "I will never stop noticing its presence, it just feels at home now."

Crossfire nodded, taking the crown off and looking at it. He inhaled deeply, and told himself to focus.

His parents watched in awe as their previously volatile son was able to slowly levitate the crown in his magic, and set in it in its rightful place place atop the King's head. Sombra's ears twitched and he smiled.

Crossfire's magic sputtered and he winced, but Sombra shook his head.

"You've had a rough day, it is still a little jittery. Take it day by day, you will notice it settle down once you're comfortable with it."

Crossfire nodded, took a deep breath and felt his magic ease back, still there, but....happy?

"See?" Sombra said "you know you can control it. I bet your head hurts less?"

A nod from the young pony. When he seen his mother in tears, his anger faded a little and he ran over to see what was wrong.

"I'm.." she wiped her eyes, sharing a look with her husbands "I’m just so proud of you my child. I'm sorry we were so blind to what you needed. Things will be different now, wont they?" she looked at her husband, who nodded. He stepped forward to approach Sombra, and to the Alicorn's surprise, bowed deeply.

"We cannot thank you enough, King Sombra," the stallion straightened up, looking from his son then back to the monarch "Because of you, our son finally had the faith in himself we were unable to give him. We hope we can match up to what you have done."

"You must understand this vital thing;" Sombra said strictly "this isn’t a one-shot recovery. It may be shaky at first, magic suppressed for so long may have further growth spurts of a sort, you just need to find a way to exercise it. And there may be accidents, but I ask you trust both myself and your son."

The parents nodded. Crossfire wished Sombra could teach him...

Crossfire's father seen the way his son cast a wishful glance at the King, then stared at the floor, ears drooped. He obviously thought that was the end of Sombra's help, now things had been patched up.

"Your Majesty, I know it isn't my place to ask this of you," The father took a deep breath as he stood before the Alicorn "in one afternoon you have set my son free from his chains. We had hoped to stay here awhile longer. The foreman already agreed to help us, in exchange for our assistance with sorting supplies. We will be staying for a short while-"

"You want to ask if I will tutor young master Crossfire?" Sombra angled his head to better meet the other pony’s eyes, and smiled.

"You seem to have extensive knowledge about magic, your highness!" the father blurted "I know you must be busy-"

"It is no trouble." Sombra said firmly. He'd decided to help this kid from the moment he'd seen the same fear in this pony’s mannerisms as had once filled his. "if it's agreeable with your son, we can begin tomorrow!"

Crossfire's eyes lit up. The other kids in the room looked amazed, and a little envious. He'd get to study with a King.

"What do you say?" his mother asked. Crossfire nodded dumbly, and Sombra smiled at his impromptu student.

All three bowed now, which Sombra returned, his wings curving out, their soft feathery appearance as impressive as the crystal.

As he lowered them, he seen another feather go drifting by, softly patterned with a red gradient.

"Seem to be shedding the things a lot lately. Perhaps it is overdue I preen them, I seem to have neglected caring for them lately." he mused.

He chuckled as he seen Crossfire's little sister pounce on the feather, scooping it up in her little hoofs.

"It's so soft!" she crooned, rubbing it on her cheek "can I keep it?" she asked Sombra.

The King chuckled "of course, now would seem to be an advantageous time for me to shed, little miss!"

This made her giggle "yeah! My collections pretty small, but I’m sure I’ll get more soon when we find a new home!"

This sobered Sombra up, and he looked around for the leader of the caravan.

"Fast Trek, your majesty," she introduced herself at his request "what did you wish to know?"

"Where are you heading FOR?" The Alicorn asked. She sighed.

"We don’t know, Your Majesty. Our home has become inhospitable, falling prey to dangerous storms. We've been forced to leave the rest of our clan behind to try and find some place new. We're running low on food-"

"-and it is getting critical." Sombra finished.

"Yes, how did you-?"

Sombra sat back down, frowning lightly "this mirrors the Umbrum's tale from time past. They too were driven from their home by natures unrelenting chill and scarcity of food. They ran to the Crystal Empire, hoping for aid. What followed was a regrettable incident, the power of the Crystal Heart turned out to be, shall we say, toxic to them. And so they were sealed away until I was able to erase that darkness from their minds. Your story is near identical and it concerns me greatly."

"We are a hard working race, your Highness!" another mare added "we'd happily work for a home, if any city can hold us! But we have so far had no luck. The Empire is so far away."

Sombra frowned a moment, then an idea occurred to him.

"I know it is still bare bones, but you are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I can help you with supplies. When I left the Crystal Empire to come here, the Prince and Princess offered to help supply food and materials. There is also the Gargoyle/Centaur empire. The reason this project stands is thanks to their generosity and donations. I'll explain your story to them, and ask they take extra supplies on, on my behalf. It'll save you struggling to makes ends meet for a period of time."

The whole crowd was staring at him in slack jawed surprise. Fast Trek had to slap herself mentally to make herself speak. Was he really saying-?

"Your Highness, you mean we can..?"

"It will take time, but I’m sure we can help support your ponies. Once the forest is cleared of Timberwolves, I will ensure a detachment of guards can escort you back and forth with urgent necessities."

Their story reminded him so strongly of the one that’d befallen his Umbrum's, he did not wish it to occur twice. He knew he'd face situations like this once his Umbrum's came to the new city, and that as a big Empire, others might come to them for help. He was determined to do things right, be a good ruler not just to the native Umbrum's, but to anypony that had suffered hardships like theirs.

"It must seem presumptuous of me, I know. But I will not see a repeat of my Umbrum's history happen again to all of YOU. If you lodge here, you can have access to supplies, and once we clear a route through that forest we will be able to reach the rest of you! It shortens the distance, eases the strain. If you wish to travel to the Empire, you could travel on the supplies train next time it goes out. It isn't much, but I would like to offer this place as a home-"

He was cut off as the ponies began cheering and hugging each other, some were crying in relief. Fast Trek felt like hugging him, as Crossfire had, but decided it would look improper. Not that he wasn’t good looking, mind...

"We can stay?" the little filly asked, clutching her new feather. Sombra smiled.

"Yes, as long as you need. I'll speak with Girder about it, but we are building new accommodations at a rapid pace to account for the influx of workers from all over Equestria, so it is not unexpected to have a new group join."

More cheering. Fast Trek was crying, which startled Sombra, and he looked around for a handkerchief or napkin-

"It's alright your majesty. I'm just so relieved. We didn’t know what we'd face when we hit the wastes, and when the Timberwolves gave chase we thought we were done for. Then you defended us and sent us here. We didn’t want to be a burden on your home, but your kind offer....we very gratefully accept! Are you sure you can handle so many...?"

"I will speak with Girder, put in overtime to help build the accommodation if the need arises. But yes, the whole LOT of your clan can come here. I only ask you give it a bit of time before bringing more, I will need assistance in tallying numbers to build the housing. Girder will go bananas, but-"

"I could go a whole fruit salad at you your majesty, if I were crazy!" Girder had come by looking for the King, and had hovered at the back of the crowd, listening in.

"He's right, and my earlier offer goes hoof in hoof. We can help you folks with food and necessities if you can lend a few strong hooves when the supplies come in!"

"I apologise if I’m treading on your hooves Girder-” Sombra began, but the foreman just chuckled.

"This is your empire, King Sombra. I mean sure, technically I still get to boss you around as a worker, but as the reigning power for this area, decisions of this nature are yours by right, Just clear your crazy schemes with me, and I’m sure we can work together to set things in motion!"

Sombra smiled, and bowed his head gratefully "thank you, sincerely."

"Ah, don't mention it your majesty. These Umbrum's will have the best guide going forward at the rate you're learning. Think of it as training for the future, with a whole empire full of ponies!"

Sombra flushed, but realised Girder was right. It felt good to be getting his decisions right this time, it brought with it an immense feeling of relief.

More cheers, and Fast Trek thanked the King profusely. The kids gathered around, more confident now, asking to pet the wings. Sombra had an idea, and soon he was seeing how many his strong wings could support. The little foals and fillies giggled merrily as they clung on.

Eventually he had to leave them, but since they were staying, he promised he'd see them soon!

"And I’ll see you tomorrow morning!" he told Crossfire, who nodded and stood proudly to thank the King.

As Sombra walked away, Girder beside him, he heard one of the mares in the crowd remark to her friend;

"I gotta say, the Royal Plots looking pretty good!"

"Mmm-hmm~ Nice strong body.."

--Wait, doesn’t plot mean..-- Sombra's brain slowly did the maths. He self consciously swished his tail as best he could to cover it. The mares seen this and realised the King had heard them, and couldn’t help a chuckle at how shameless they both were!

Girder watched as the penny dropped as they stepped outside, and Sombra went red in the face.

"You've got mares admiring your rear, your majesty. I dare say that’s the oddest thing you’ve heard today?"

"That’s putting it mildly!" Sombra spluttered, glaring at Girder as he cracked up laughing.

That night, Sombra wrote a long detailed letter to Celestia, telling her of the situation, and could she forward the letters included to the two other empires? He wrote about the feather filly, and Crossfire..

"A student?" Celestia smiled as she read the letter "my my, that young Crossfire has had quite the stroke of luck, for Sombra knows how it feels to be overloaded by his magic, and how big a difference a chance can make!"

Luna nodded. Then she seen the bit about the feather filly, and had an idea-!

The next morning...

"Shoo!" Crossfire hissed at the younger ponies following him. They giggled, running away, but never very far. He was on his way to meet the King for his first lesson, but the other kids had tagged along.

"At least stay hidden.." the older pony groaned.

Up ahead he spotted his newly acquired teacher. The King was staring into the distance, watching the sunlight reflecting off the shiny new buildings. Crossfire cleared his throat, and the King turned, spotting him and smiling gently. Crossfire hastily bowed as the King closed the distance between them. Sombra gave him a reassuring nod.

"Ready to start?" he said, and his student nodded. Sombra's ears twitched as other sounds reached them "and you brought an audience?"

"Huh? OH-!" Crossfire whipped round, seeing the group of small kids all staring wide eyed in curiosity at them "shoo, you guys!"

"Aww.." One of the little ones pouted "we wanna see the magic too!"

Sombra smiled "Master Crossfire needs plenty of quiet to concentrate, learning something new takes time, do you see what I mean?"

The kids nodded, and promised they’d keep super quiet, but could they stay?

"That is entirely up to Master Crossfire." Sombra looked at the young pony.

Crossfire half felt like telling them to scram, he wanted Sombra to focus on helping HIM alone. But he seen his sister's downcast expression, and sighed.

"Okay, but one peep and I’ll chase you all!" he pretended to charge them and they giggled, scattering, before settling themselves atop a stack of materials far enough back they wouldn’t be breathing down the two ponies necks.

Crossfire's jaw dropped as he sensed the level of Sombra's magic, he hadn’t noticed it amongst all the chaos of yesterday.

"Whoa, that is awesome." he whistled. Sombra smiled.

"With practise, I do not doubt yours will be too. Now, let us begin."

Crossfire later said this of Sombra; He was a firm teacher, strict but not unkind. When Crossfire got upset and shouted at him, the King didn’t react. He calmly waited for the young pony to finish getting angry then started again. He tested numerous basic exercises with him. Some Crossfire struggled with, but the more he tried, the more fluid it felt. His magic hadn’t had this much use in a long time!

As the hours ticked by, Crossfire forgot about his audience. He was so focused on following the routine Sombra was showing him, which involved firing at old cans lined up on a wall to test his aim and accuracy.

--C'mon, I wanna do something cool to impress him!-- Crossfire focused his magic at the last can, imagining the beam being super narrow.

Sombra's eyebrows raised as he seen the beam of magic punch a hole in the can, its edges surprisingly neat.

"Impressive," Crossfire glowed at the praise as the King smiled "I wouldn’t suggest doing that too often just yet, but you see what you CAN do?"

"Yeah!" Crossfire wiped a hoof over his forehead. He heard cheering, and seen not only the kids atop the high stack of planks, but his parents too.

"Mom, Dad?" he asked.

"Sorry, we just came by to see if you were hungry, the lunch bell just rang."

"Ah, I hadn't noticed!" Crossfire blinked, and his stomach gurgled.

Sombra laughed "indeed. You should see to your appetite. That will be all for today, just keep practising until tomorrow, alright?"

Crossfire nodded, he already felt better about his magic then he ever had. He could learn to be an awesome magic user if he could just get his magic to obey his rules.

He seen the Umbrum pony trot away towards the construction area, no doubt off to work.

"Are we really going to stay here?" he asked his mother.

She nodded "we'll be taking trips with the King's guards to bring supplies to the others, but yes, we'll be staying for a long time. Your lessons with his Majesty will continue for some time yet. It's so good to see you using it, without fear..."

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay. I had some trouble. :fluttershysad:

Negotiations

A few days later, an envelope arrived for Sombra along with the latest scroll containing updates from his friends. Cadance and Shining Armor were happy to help with Sombra's additional population, it sounded like those ponies really needed it!

Sombra looked at the contents of the accompanying envelope and chuckled. He took off to find Crossfire's sister, and seen her eyes sparkle as she took carefully packaged feathers from the packet. There was one from each of the Princesses, from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy as well! There was even a griffon's feather, donated by a long time friend of Dash's called Gilda. This made the little filly’s day and she was soon adding these gorgeous feathers to the ones she'd amassed so far!

As they'd promised, the others signed up with Girder to help out around the site. The little ones became very attached to Excel, who happily babysat them during the day, reading them stories and even teaching them lessons about the Umbrum and the Infinitum!

The next week Sombra was scheduled to take a trip back to the Crystal Empire. He and others from the caravan group boarded the train to the empire. While the King dealt with his private affairs, Trek and the others would take a signed letter round to all the supply shops and pick up what they needed. The letter with his Majesty’s signature was all they needed, as Cadance and Shining Armor were happy to trust Sombra with managing what he required!

As they drew closer, Sombra felt his heart lift. He missed his Umbrum's, and was looking forward to seeing them again…

The train pulled into the station with a soft hiss of steam. The staff began offloading any cargo and several went to go collect the next load for the site. After bidding the King farewell until dinner, Trek and her crew trotted away and Sombra turned towards the Palace gleaming in the distance. He smiled, it was a beautiful sight. A thought occurred, what kind of home was he going to build? He hadn’t given it any thought…

He shook his head, no need to worry. The empire wasn't finished yet, so his personal Palace could wait! He stretched his wings and took off with a whoosh. A flash of magic mid-air and he returned to his crystal form.

As he flew, he did a double take upon spotting two familiar faces down below. Cadance and Shining Armor were walking down the main shopping street, surrounded by happy crystal ponies. He banked sharply mid-flight, aiming for the duo.

Cadance turned as she heard heavy wing beats, and she seen a familiar face drift down to a graceful landing not far from them.

"Sombra!” Shining Armor waved "did you just get here? We thought you were expected later..."

“Ah, yes, the train came earlier then expected, seems the schedule got a bit jumbled!” Sombra explained as he trotted over to greet them.

The crystal ponies gathered in renewed curiosity. Sombra looked different somehow. Not just his outward appearance, although he had been meticulously groomed and styled by Excel and his aides for the trip, wearing his full armor and cloak as always. But the difference was in HOW he held himself. He seemed happier, eyes brighter. Gone was most of that shadow that’d haunted his face, gone was that haggard look of one ready to collapse under his own guilt. This Sombra seemed much happier than the version that’d been witnessed at the stadium.

“Oh!” Cadance smiled at Sombra “we have a visitor who'll be pleased to know you're here-”

"I think he knows. Incoming!" Shining blinked as he seen a blur whooshing towards them. He and Cadance stepped swiftly back and Sombra blinked at them.

"Incoming wha?-pffahah!"

He was cut off as he was grabbed up in a delighted hug. And a certain Draconequus' tail accidentally tickled his side.

"About time you got here!" Discord grinned, letting the dazed pony go.

"We hit a bit of a delay.." Sombra wheezed, chuckling.

Cadance giggled. She'd rarely heard or seen Discord sound so cheerful. As Fluttershy had mentioned, having similar circumstances had made these two get along great.

"Your Umbrum's are going to glomp you silly when they see you! C'mon!" Discord gestured to the Palace. Shining nodded to Sombra.

"Go ahead, we'll be there shortly." he said to the Alicorn.

Sombra nodded, and the last the crowd heard was Discord challenging Sombra to a race, then the duo shot off into the sky.

"Talk about your oddest couple ever. Who'd have expected those two to get along, huh?" Shining remarked to Cadance.

"It may seem strange, given the chaos Discord has caused. But, I think those two understand what they've both been through. Its made life easier for Sombra, that much is certain."

"He’s different now, isn’t he?" Shining Armor mused "he doesn't seem as locked up inside as he was when he left."

Cadance nodded "indeed. I was surprised when we visited, seems the work has really brought him out of his shell. That and taught him some very crude jokes."

Shining snickered as he recalled Sombra telling a few "heh, it WAS pretty funny!"

The guard greeted Sombra respectfully as he and Discord landed at the palace's doors. Sombra was shown to where his Umbrum's waited, and as Discord predicted, he was hug tackled by the littler ones, including a certain Firefly!

When he announced he was here to share the Cutie mark trait, they couldn't contain their delight.

As he'd witnessed with the immunity transfer, Discord seen the Umbrum King's body shine like a small sun, then the light blasted out, filling the entire cavern. It faded after several seconds, and Sombra looked a little light headed. But the job was done, they could all feel it. Something new!

The ponies all cheered, dancing and hugging each other in glee. They were all curious if their cutie marks would be as amazing as their King's?

Many stared at their flanks, as if they may already have one! It made Discord giggle, and when Sombra looked at him, he was attempting to examine his own side.

“What are you doing?” he asked, puzzled.

“Well, everyone else is staring at their rears, so I figured why not!” Discord grinned.

“Stop staring at your rear! As conversation partners go, its hardly sufficient!” Sombra shook his head.

“Then whose should I stare at? Yours-? No, that wont work. The phrase is “talking out your ass”, not “talking to someone else’s ass” wait, hang on-”

“Stop right there, I am not having a discussion about the proper use of the word “ass”. You're so crude!” Sombra groaned, yet he burst out laughing anyway. Discord always made him laugh with his shameless sense of humour. And he knew it. The Draconequus caught his sniggering friends eye and grinned knowingly.

"We have something we wished to speak with you about, Infinitum!" The new head of the Umbrum's in Excels absence, a stallion called Lightshot, stepped forward and bowed deeply as the celebration of the new skill finally ended. And The King and Draconequus finally calmed down...

"What would that be?" Sombra asked, quashing any lingering laughter. Behind him, Discord grinned, HE knew.

"We want to move to the building site!" Lightshot said, watching the Kings expression nervously. Sombra's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he waited for the Umbrum to carry on.

"We want to work as hard as you do. You're out there building our home for US, we've seen all the pictures and the letters! It seems only fair that we pitch in."

Sombra smiled gently "That is my duty, as your ruler. It is heard, taxing work and I do not want you to worry-"

"I-i know sir!" The pony blurted nervously, "and your kindness is the reason were all alive and ready to live now. I apologise for interrupting, we've been discussing this for awhile now and we'd sincerely like it if you would consider our proposal, Infinitum!"

Sombra took in their eager faces, seeing how genuine it seemed.

"It's true," Discord set a paw on his shoulder as he drifted up alongside his friend "They asked me about it, pondering what you'd say. But in the end they waited to ask YOU directly. Your example has inspired them, they want to be just like their King, do you see?"

Sombra blinked at him, but Discord could see the thought process behind the pony's intelligent red eyes. At last, Sombra's gaze refocused and he nodded up at his friend before facing the Umbrum's once more.

"Mistake this not for doubt, but I must make absolutely sure. I'm not going to lie, it is a heavy duty job. You’ve only been free a short while, are you sure you want to start working so soon, my ponies?"

Their eyes lit up at his words, and Lightshot looked at the others before facing the King once more "If you can do it your majesty, then so can we! This way we can all be free and our home will be built faster with all of us there."

Sombra thought about it, running numbers through his head. The Umbrum's waited eagerly to see if their King would allow them this task?

"It will take a while to arrange living quarters, it is pretty crowded currently. But once we have room, I will come back to let you know how many of you can make the first trip."

The Umbrum cheered, and Lightshot bowed.

"Thank you your majesty. We cant wait to see the world the way you have!"

Sombra looked at the non-solid Umbrum forms. He could understand they wanted to see the world like he, Excel and Firefly had, and attain permanent forms.

--Girder's going to murder me...-- he chuckled to himself, but he was amazed at how fast the workforce was growing. It'd gone from a troupe of mostly builders and some guards to ponies, gargoyles and centaurs, and now his Umbrum's wanted to join! He couldn’t have hoped for a better group of ponies to work alongside.

He spent the evening at the Palace, enjoying a fancy dinner with the Prince and Princess. The ponies travelling with him had been invited to stay as well, and Fast Trek said they’d gotten all they needed and more! She thanked Cadance and Shining Armor as well as Sombra, for their combined generosity, she'd never dreamed she'd meet so much royalty, and the Empire was just stunning!

As he got into bed, Sombra made a mental note to discuss the trip to the ponies secluded settlement as soon as possible, as he could see how it worried Fast Trek. Getting supplies for the stranded settlement would help, but there was still the bigger problem at hoof to deal with.

They left the next day, Sombra bearing various gifts and souvenirs, and the supplies train left once more for the site.

"He'll be fine, wont he?" Cadance said to Discord as the chaos lord hovered, watching the train vanish into the distance. Discord nodded smugly.

"He wont have any problem. He worries a little too much even still, but he seems to be revisiting his past less and less with every time I see him."

Cadance nodded "I have had many a citizen asking about him, they’re curious about the new city, and Sombra himself! He's made a very good impression this time, and since they chose to forgive him, their curiosity about him has grown."

"I never would've thought ANY of this could happen." Shining Armor said as they turned back to the Palace "never mind that there was so much to a pony once thought of as nothing more than a tyrant!"

Girder stared at the sheepishly grinning pony in front of him.

"I sincerely apologise for such an out of the blue announcement, They asked it of me after i transferred the cutie mark ability." Sombra apologised “They understand its hard work, but they insist they want to follow my lead.”

"Well, as I said before your majesty, we can work something out. We'll double the amount of sleeping quarters built. With every new group arriving, the work can be picked up a little faster. Well be able to balance the workforce quite easily I’m sure. Your two aides have proven invaluable in categorising everything!"

Sombra nodded, smiling "I think they much prefer that. They seemed shocked by my preference to get stuck in with the heavier work, especially how dirty my coat ends up."

"It's not for everypony, that’s for sure!" Girder chuckled "but I wont turn down a hard worker your majesty, especially one like yourself. Your Umbrum's are more than welcome, we can start construction immediately!"

Sombra nodded, then mentioned bringing supplies to the caravan groups home. They’d gotten everything they needed at the empire, and now awaited travel and transport.

Fast Trek was surprised when she and several adults gathered around the meeting spot where Girder had told them to assemble the supplies, and they seen a cart waiting there. Hitched up to it, eagerly discussing the terrain ahead over a map with Girder, was King Sombra. He was in his illusion form, mane like inky black smoke. He wore his work boots and fluffy cloak, goggles keeping his mane pinned back. She asked why he was pulling the cart?

"It seemed prudent, given my strength, that i tow this. I also wished to meet the others at your home, explain the situation as you know it. Is that alright with you miss Trek? I do not wish to impose."

“Heck no its not a problem your majesty,” she smiled “you're more than welcome!”

She certainly wasn’t going to turn down the pony that’d helped them so much. She wondered how the town would react to seeing a shadow Alicorn? She hoped it’d be good...

And so the group set off, Fast Trek and her ponies, together with Sombra and his two personal guards, a crystal pegasi pony and Captain Corona. With their wings they could scout ahead, and they were capable fighters to boot!

The settlement was a considerable distance away, but earlier efforts had pretty much eradicated the timberwolf problem, which let them pick up the pace and reach the site in record time. Fast Trek ran ahead to gather everypony, Sombra alongside. A lookout seen her approaching and he bellowed the news to everypony. The mayor stepped up, took a look at who was travelling with her, and went to round up his team of Deputy’s.

"I hope this will tide them over long enough.." Sombra began, as they approached the centre of town.

“It's plenty, your majesty!” Fast Trek chuckled “more then we ever thought-”

"Hold it right there!" a voice yelled, and Sombra came to such an abrupt halt the cart smacked into the back of his hindquarters. Fast Trek nearly bumped into his side, she was so startled. She shook her head as Sombra helped steady her, and frowned at the Mayor.

"Mayor Overwatch?" She frowned at the elderly pale green pony with the straw coloured mane "what ARE you doing? Its me-"

"My problems not with your return Trek, I’m relieved to see you home. My problem is with that CREATURE you brought with you."

With a sinking stomach, Sombra realised they meant him. He needed to settle this feisty old pony down before things got out of hoof. He hurriedly unsnapped himself from the carts harness, giving his wings a shake to dislodge the snow that'd settled on them and took a step forward. He smiled politely, wings raised in greeting-

But whatever words he had died in his throat as the hodge-podge of uniformed ponies that he guessed were the equivalent of guards stepped forward, makeshift spears levelled at him. Some looked a little uncertain, and kept glancing at each other and the Mayor. And at him, registering their targets bewilderment, and a measure of hurt too.

"Not another step!" The Mayor snapped "don’t think we're so far out we don’t know who you are!!"

Sombra found his voice, and swallowed down the uneasy nausea. His head buzzed painfully and he winced slightly "One moment, please-"

"Enough!" the Mayor snapped, the nearest guards stepped even closer to Sombra. The King's guards that’d been hovering out of sight exchanged looks and flew out of cover, landing either side of the King. Sombra panicked internally..

"So, you brought an army with you-?" Overwatch snarled.

"Step down!" Sombra asked the guards "this will not help matters!"

"Are you sure, Captain Sombra, sire?" Corona asked him. Sombra nodded. Both guards stepped back, remaining within safe distance of the King, but obeying his request and stowing their weapons. Overwatch twitched, what was Sombra playing at? Was he hoping to get them to drop their guard?

Fast Trek stared at the mayor, fumbling for words, then she finally pieced them together.

"Overwatch you IDIOT!" She snapped "He's the reason we're all still alive. We almost died out there, by Timberwolves!!"

"So why is he here? And with soldiers to boot-"

As they argued, Sombra's eye was caught by the fountain at the centre of town. He could feel a funny sensation emanating from it. It looked like there were worn markings around the circular orb at its top. He began to drift closer towards it, but something flashed across his vision and he stopped. The sharp end of a spear was resting across his raised foreleg, and a thin graze oozed crimson.

"S-stay back!” The pony attempted to sound threatening, but Sombra was still an intimidating figure, physically speaking. A quick glance told him this pony was mostly muscle!

But Sombra merely studied him a moment, head tilting slightly to one side. Then he calmly stepped back, ignoring the minor scratch left by the spear. The wind tugged at his flowing black mane, curiosity and sympathy in deep red eyes.

The pony blinked nervously. This wasn’t the response he'd expected. Had the pony reacted in kind, he'd have felt justified in swinging for him. Now he was just baffled. The newspapers had talked about Sombra's species, about this new home that was being built. But they didn’t really talk about the pony himself. Other than referring to him as a hero at Canterlot.

"They’re bodyguards for Celestia's sake! They’re just here to protect us, there could have been worse than the Timberwolves out here! We needed help and-" Fast Trek wasn’t giving up.

"You thought the solution was bringing HIM here!" Overwatch snapped "I don’t want our safety guaranteed at the cost of selling ourselves to Tartarus on Equestria!" he shouted back.

Trek shoved her face in close to his, gritting her teeth. "You're wrong. He saved all our lives, and he's the one who helped me get all THIS!" She threw the cover off the cart, showing all the food and supplies. Surprised gasps ran through the gathering crowd as they seen the massive pile of boxes.

"So you let this little display fool you?!" the Mayor snapped. He was a little startled, but refused to admit it.

Sombra tilted his head as their voices got louder, something felt off. Besides the buzzing in his head that was. His wings shivered and fluffed up, and he stared up at the sky.

"Ms. Trek..?" he asked.

"Seriously Overwatch, I am going to shove your head so far up your ass you'll be able to see what you had for lunch-hm?" she cut off at the urgency of Sombra's tone. She looked over at the pony, seeing his expression.

"I think we have a problem.." Sombra murmured.

"Well I’m glad your primitive brain has caught up at last, you oversized brute!" Overwatch snapped, eyes narrowing as he glared at Sombra.

Sombra frowned, suppressing his temper but BARELY "I’m only asking you hear me out-"

"You have no place here, King of Monsters!!"

The vehemence in his tone was clear. Trek seen Sombra flinch as if he'd been physically struck. The bigger stallion actually took a step back, looking unsettled.

"That’s right, I’m VERY familiar with your little antics all those years ago. I don't know who you tricked to get released without guard, but-"

Sombra's ears were ringing. This was getting out of hoof. What was he supposed to do?

Strangely, this was how he'd expected the citizens of the Crystal Empire to act upon seeing him again. Thinking back, they'd been kind to him. Perhaps because of the fragile state he'd been in after the revival and fight. Or had Cadance persuaded them to give him room to breathe until he was less...traumatised?

But the name this furious Mayor had given him…

He felt a splinter of fear burrow into his heart, he didn't want to be THAT again. He'd tried so hard this time, but what if-?

--What if it is never enough?-- he thought, insides going cold. Would he forever be a monster?

He shook his head, he didn't have time for these thoughts, there were more pressing matters to hoof then his own paranoia.

Speaking of...

"Snowstorm!" a panicked mare shouted from across the town square. Sombra snapped out of his funk, recalling why he'd butted in in the first place and looked up at the roiling mass of clouds appearing on the horizon.

“Now? It can't be-! Blast it it, it was tomorrow-” Overwatch fumed.

Sombra didn't hear this, he was busy trying to make his voice heard above the mounting wind.

"I'm guessing this isn't Cloudsdale's area of expertise?" he asked Fast Trek. She shook her head.

"This far out, even they cant stop them. Its an anomaly of the area!" Fast Trek cried as the wind picked up, throwing flurries of snow in their faces "We need to get inside!!"

Sombra heard the grumpy Mayor shout at the guards to get everypony inside, and Sombra caught "-this town cant take much more of this, get everypony into the basement!"

"The supplies-" one pony cried, but Overwatch silenced them, stating they didn’t have time!

Sombra yelled for Corona and the guard to grab the supplies and start moving them. The three of them, shortly joined by Fast Trek, began carrying as much as they could. By luck, they were able to get most of the supplies through the town halls door. Anything non-perishable could be retrieved later.

A cold wind hit Sombra's back as he stood at the doorway to the town hall, and he turned to look behind him, seeing the heavy, near impenetrable snowstorm.

"Sire, get inside!" Corona yelled at him. Sombra nodded, trotting willingly indoors.

The door slammed behind them as they stood inside the big town hall. The howling of the wind was muted somewhat, and Sombra sighed in relief to be out of the storm. He shook himself, snow falling from his wings as he did. The feathery soft wings lifted a little, stretched, then compacted themselves back down.

"Someone ought to clip those things.." a venomous mutter caught Sombra's ears and on instinct he glanced over- at the Mayor, who else? He had gathered a few of his deputy's around him, most of whom were mimicking their boss in sending the dark Alicorn stony glares. But they didn’t all seem as certain, and Sombra seen one break away to look over at Fast Trek. Sombra followed his gaze, hearing the mare's voice a second later.

She was standing atop a table she'd dragged over to stand by the pile of supplies.

"Where's Rockhopper? We've got some medicine from the Empire, he should start taking it now!"

"Really?" the pony in question looked shocked "You found the medicine? How long will it last..?" he looked pale, mane thinning a little. Sombra wondered if there was any further treatment that would help?

Fast Trek beamed, patting the box beside her "We got enough to keep you going for awhile, give you better days! The Crystal Princess has a trade link open with the construction site. His Majesty asked them to add substantial supplies to the bill, for us."

Rockhopper did a double take, and stared at the big box of medicine, then over at Sombra who was hovering just inside the door.

"He..did that?" he said softly.

"Yes," Fast Trek said firmly "trust me Rocky, he's not a bad guy. The Mayor doesn’t know what he's talking about-"

"And you do all of a sudden? Tigers don't changed their spots Trek," the mayor ceased glaring at Sombra long enough to address her, not bothering to lower his voice. He WANTED Sombra to hear every word.

"That conniving-" Corona snarled under his breath, and started towards the Mayor, but was surprised by the King placing a restraining hoof on his shoulder a second later. Looking at the pony, he seen him shake his head.

"Don’t. Whatever he may have to say, that is his right. We start a fight here, things will spiral out of control." Sombra set his hoof down as Corona nodded reluctantly.

Fast Trek seen this and cast Corona a sympathetic look. She wanted to kick the Mayor's ego up the ass as bad as he did!

Oblivious to this, the Mayor was still ranting;

"Creatures like him, lying is in their blood. Even the papers point out he’s an abnormality in his own species." He spoke the word with disdain, and Sombra felt a guilty stab. Why were these ponies judging his entire species by HIS example? He flashed back to the Mayor's jibe about clipping his wings and felt acid rise in his throat. Memories of how he'd tried so hard to do just that raced through his head and he went a few shades paler. That spell-

He shook his head. This was not the time to let this weakness show, he reminded himself once again. This was proving tougher then he'd guessed. It was easy to be tough inside your own head, but real life rarely matched the script you wrote yourself, so you sometimes just had to learn as you went.

"Sire, are you alright?" Corona murmured, seeing the King's expression.

Sombra nodded, swallowing down the urge to be sick, and managed to clear his throat and utter "it is nothing."

"Hmph, guilt not that easy to quash, is it monster?" Overwatch seen how the low blow had seemingly staggered the Alicorn and smirked, thinking he'd gotten one up on the former tyrant.

"Overwatch, you...BUFFOON!" Trek finally lost patience and screamed, making them ALL jump. She was BEYOND furious now, and got right up in Overwatch's face, which made him back up a little.

"All you've done is adhere to a bunch of old superstitions and nonsense, you didn't even agree with us going out on this trip until it became desperate! You'd rather we perish here for the sake of tradition? Well I’m not having it! We nearly died out there, by Timberwolves. Were it not for Sombra, you wouldn’t even be seeing us here. Not to mention, he did what you could not. He. Fixed. Crossfire’s. MAGIC."

Overwatch's mouth opened, then shut. Then fell open again. He was surprised, and thought he'd misheard.

This reveal silenced the room like a switch had been thrown and all eyes turned to Sombra, who didn’t say a word.

"How?" a young colt asked the King as he turned away from watching the mayor and stepped closer to the big pony. "He was always stuck with that suppressor. The old far-"

Here Corona uttered a loud snort, and the kid switched tactics "the Mayor said the suppressor was the only way!"

"Suppressors are the worst way. Even Princess Celestia calls them barbaric," Sombra spoke up, recalling the Princesses words "she refused to use them, even on ME."

"She's smart." somepony piped up, and Overwatch snarled.

"Celestia is as wise as she is beautiful, but even she is not flawless." the Mayor muttered darkly.

"Is he OK now?" the same kid asked Sombra, ignoring Overwatch.

The King smiled, then closed his eyes. "Let me show you." he murmured.

He did as he'd done many times before and dove into his memories to show them. The watching ponies seen the Timberwolf fight, the revelation that Sombra hadn't repaired the suppressor, merely simulated it. Then the final memory of Crossfire's most recent lesson with the King, where it showed a remarkable progress, showed how happy Crossfire was and his parents hugging him tightly, beaming proudly.

"He's so relaxed, are you teaching him?" A mare asked. Sombra nodded.

"Magic left untrained can easily cause trouble. It can even affect your state of mind, as I found out." he fell silent, recalling the overload he'd suffered as a child. He shuddered slightly and shut the memories down.

The images faded and Trek declared "See! All it took was a chance, and that poor kid and his parents could finally relax! He can play with the other kids now, without fear of injuring them!"

Overwatch stared. How? How had this freak-show pony managed to solve Crossfire's dilemma? He himself had tried everything, but the kid was a stubborn, obnoxious brat that wouldn't listen. Yet that memory showed the kid's obvious, genuine relief at being told he wasn’t a problem, that there was hope…

And it was clear from the memories that Crossfire admired this insane King. He couldn’t have this. He stepped forward, ego restored.

"So now you'd rather such a corruptive influence have control over him? Doesn’t it make you suspicious that he's suddenly willing to train a pony with such magic?"

The crowd shared sceptical looks, some glowering at the Mayor. Some seemed caught between the two figures vying for their support, and Overwatch zeroed in on their hesitation.

"I didn’t have the option of someone teaching me how to use mine," Sombra said calmly, although there was an edge to his voice "like Tartarus I was going to see that kid suffer the same. I didn’t have the luxury of help back then, but he DOES-"

"Help of the kind YOU offer is no help at all!!" Overwatch lost his rag, why weren’t the other ponies backing him up, hadn’t he kept this town safe all this time?!

Sombra blinked, fumbling for words.

Mumbling and murmuring arose, some siding with the Mayor because they were confused and unsettled by Sombra's appearance in their town, and others shaking their heads because they agreed with Trek.

Looking smug, the Mayor strode over to stare up at the bigger stallion challenging him, "Once this storm dies down, I want you and your soldiers gone! You may have fooled Trek, but I’m not buying it. I’m surprised at Crossfire's parents, letting YOU around their son, I thought they had better morals. Wings, magic? You don’t deserve either of those."

He turned his back on the King and his stunned guards. "As if dealing with a thief in my village isnt enough, now I have a monster!" he snapped as he stomped away.

Corona looked about ready to live up to his name, his body posture radiated sheer fury, and he was struggling to keep his fury at this situation under control. The Crystal Empire guard didn’t look much happier, he was itching to have a few words with Overwatch.

Sombra did his best to show no reaction, thus many ponies took the lack of emotion as lack of fear. They assumed he was unfazed, felt neither guilt nor dismay. Some looked closer, and seen a lot brewing behind the King's steely gaze.

"That guys got his head so far up his backside he could wear his innards as a hat!" Corona snarled. The other guard snorted in surprised amusement, and even Sombra smiled wryly.

"It IS frustrating." Sombra finally sat down by the small window by the door, peering out into the thick snow "but don't let your fury get the better of you, both of you."

"Sire-?" the Crystal guard turned to face him "how can you be so calm?"

"Because his fury is not misplaced. As I have mentioned before, there are those who will never forgive me, no matter what I do. I just have to learn to accept that, and hope that given time, they will come around to tolerance at least, if never forgiveness."

"Sire," Corona paused a moment, seeing Sombra did not need the reality of how much this troubled him brought up, then nodded. "You have far more patience than I. Given what you have done for our King and Queen, it's insulting to hear that pony run his mouth like that. Ungrateful barely covers it."

The crystal guard nodded.

"I'm glad to have you with me, both of you" Sombra smiled gratefully "your insight is very valuable to me."

Corona felt his anger dull a bit. The King was right, they couldn't afford to get angry. But it still stung him to see that Overwatch guy talk so disrespectfully to a King. Had someone spoken so rudely to King Vorak, they would've been out cold in seconds. Gargoyles were fierce creatures, and proud warriors. They defended those they honoured with everything they had. And in serving under King Sombra's command the short time he had so far, Corona had come to see how much the King had learnt. The lessons he embodied were ones that Prince Scorpan had failed, and despite the Kings outward calm appearance, it was obvious from the tension in his body that he was a mix of angry and worried.

"Hay." they all looked up as Fast Trek approached "you guys hungry?"

At the mention of food, the Crystal pony's stomach gurgled, and Corona's responded.

"Stomach wars." Corona nodded sagely, and the stallion laughed.

"Go eat," Sombra nodded his head towards the crowds "I think some of them want to speak to you. I don't think they've met a Gargoyle before."

"Its true, we haven’t." Fast Trek smiled at Corona "I got a couple of ponies that are just dying to ask a few questions!"

"I cannot just leave his highness-" Corona began, but Sombra chuckled.

"I'll be fine," he pulled a book and a quill from his saddlebag "I have a few notes to write, so don’t worry."

"Aren’t you hungry?" Fast Trek asked, frowning. Sombra smiled warmly and shook his head "honestly, I feel full at the moment, I’m quite content."

She nodded, but honestly thought he was just holding back to avoid stirring the hornets nest that was Overwatch and his goon platoon.

"As you wish, sire." The two guards left their King's side, although Corona vowed to keep an eye on him regardless. Even if it was from a distance.

"I'm sorry about this.." Fast Trek said sadly "I wish I could make them see just how much you’ve helped. But, were an old fashioned bunch, the elders are the most bull headed, especially the Mayor. I don’t think he liked being upstaged."

"Upstaged?" Sombra frowned.

"Yeah, he's been trying for AGES to do something about Crossfire. But everything he tried either didn’t work or backfired. In the end he made out like that suppressor was the only answer. The poor kid nearly cried when he was first forced to wear it."

Sombra shuddered, recalling his own dismay back at the start "when I was sufficiently recovered to recover the connection to my magic, I feared it would be suppressed. But Celestia refused to hear it, said she wouldn’t do that to me. I didn’t understand why but I was grateful for her decision."

"Being denied magic is rough, no unicorn should have to do that." Trek shuddered.

"Might I ask something?" Sombra asked.

"Shoot." Trek smiled.

"What did that Mayor mean when he said "a thief"? Why would someone within the village be stealing?"

"Somepony's been taking supplies from the storage shed. We tried putting patrols out, but its gotten us nowhere, whoever it is, they’re crafty."

"What has been taken?"

"A variety of things. First it was dried fruits and vegetables, then it was some pots and pans, then some seeds, and more recently it was a child’s blanket! Just that. It makes no sense."

"It is an odd pattern. It doesn’t add up..." Sombra was puzzled.

"I wouldn’t worry too much about it. We have to focus on finding a way to persuade Overwatch to accept the offer you made me."

Both winced at this. It was looking more and more unlikely the more time went by.

"If only I could prove to him somehow-" Sombra sighed. Fast Trek shook her head.

"You don’t want to start a pissing contest with him, pardon my language," she added hastily as Sombra's eyebrows rose "old habit. In order to get the attention of some of the more stubborn folk here, you gotta swear like the sailing families they descended from."

"Ah, I understand." Sombra smiled softly "it seems workers enjoy this too, as I have garnered quite a lexicon of crude phrases from my fellow workers."

Trek chuckled "it still surprises me to see an Alicorn mucking in at a work site. Seems like the last thing royalty would be into. No offence."

"None taken," Sombra laughed "even Girder did a double take when I showed up, he assumed I was there to check on progress. He kept repeating "are you sure"? Until I convinced him I wasn't pulling his leg, I DID want to help out with the construction!"

Somepony called Treks name, and Sombra smiled, insisting he was fine and she trotted away with a final apology for Overwatch's actions.

Overwatch shook his head at how friendly Trek was with that tyrant. He frowned as both guards left their Kings side and the Alicorn settled down to study a book from his saddlebags.

"What's he playing at, dismissing the guards. Is he that confident we won't touch him?" Overwatch sneered.

"No, he sent them to go talk to the townsfolk, some of them want to meet the gargoyle, they're rarely seen in Equestria." he was an expert lip reader, being deaf. Overwatch made a harrumphing sound, still bitter. That help had to come in the form of THAT pony ticked him off.

He stomped upstairs, slamming the door to his office and locking it. He needed space, and staying in the same room as that unnerving beast was more than he could deal. He knew his deputy's would keep a watchful eye on the brute.

"The papers could be making it all up, why would anypony forgive that creature? No, he must have taken advantage of his saving the Princesses to wrangle a pardon from the Crystal Empire." he muttered to himself as he stoked the fire.

But a part of his mind pointed out that Sombra had brought supplies, and if those memories were true, he'd saved Crossfire...

Overwatch was a stubborn pony, unused to NOT being in control. He'd eventually agreed to Fast Trek leading a convoy to go look for outside help, but warned her to be careful. They'd been a secular group for so long he partly resented outside interference. They'd always looked after themselves, until the storms began ripping their world apart.

The wind tore at the windows and Sombra set his book down, peering outside again. Something about that stone he'd been stopped from approaching earlier was gnawing away at his mind. He turned the page and began sketching the ancient markings written on it. Some of them seemed familiar, reminding him of the Umbrum letters. It was as if it was descended form the same language...

"Nopony knows what that does." A child’s voice piped up. Sombra looked up, seeing a little filly with her dog sitting not far away. She nodded at the drawing "There's a story about that, want to hear it?"

Sombra nodded, smiling gently.

She beamed "The story goes the pony that built this town found it buried in the snow exactly where it stands now, in the ruins of another town long gone. He built the new town around it, believing this was a sign. The writing it on it is supposed to be magical, but so far none of the unicorns have been able to figure it out. They think it's maybe its a type of magic from long ago? That it used to be a sentinel that guarded the area.."

"I had wondered about that.." Sombra smiled "it reminds me a little of dark magic. Maybe this was from a similar race, one that used arcane magic?"

"Isn’t dark magic bad?" the kid asked, scrunching her nose in confusion.

"Magic isn't inherently bad, its all down to the user in most cases. But dark magic can be VERY hard to control, that is why its viewed as dangerous. It can put ideas in your head unless you know how it operates. You have to be firm with magic like that."

"Sounds legit." the kid said and Sombra smiled, he'd heard that phrase from Crossfire. The dog bounded over, sniffing at this new pony. He wagged his tail, deciding he liked him, licking Sombra's cheek. Sombra chuckled, gently scratching behind its ear with his magic.

"Hee.." the kid giggled "he likes you! I think he's a better judge than the Mayor. He's such a meanie pants!"

"I'm sure he is just trying his best." Sombra said softly.

She pulled a face "maybe, but he don't have to be such a bully about it!"

The dog bounded back to her and she bid the bigger pony goodbye, trotting back to her mother.

Sombra studied the drawing in his book, the filly's story echoing in his head. But he was startled by a loud crashing above him. The room fell silent, and Sombra got up, shoving the book back into his saddlebags and joining Trek at the bottom of the stairs as two of Overwatch's ponies ran upstairs to investigate.

"That was the Mayor's office-!" Fast Trek looked worriedly at Sombra. Without a word, Sombra and Corona raced up the stairs. The two ponies were wrestling with the doors, trying to open them.

"Its locked!" the first said, giving the left door a shove, but it was heavy, solid oak and wasn’t giving an inch.

"Get back!" they turned at Sombra's voice. Sombra put his full might into a powerful back kick, that sent the doors crashing off their hinges into the office.

The windows had been smashed, and a large rotted tree branch was looking like the culprit. The Mayor had been thrown back by the impact, and appeared to be unconscious. Sombra yelled for Corona to grab him. Then they discovered the Mayor's tail was pinned by the intruding tree. He had some nasty scratches and cuts from the branches too.

Sombra closed his eyes and the mass of rotten tree shuddered, then became enveloped in magic. It lifted off the floor, and the gargoyle guard quickly pulled Overwatch out of harms way. The tree came shuddering back down with a thud, and Sombra sighed in relief.

He told Corona to get the pony out of there, bring him downstairs. He followed after the gargoyle, who carried the pony on his back. The crowds murmured in worry as they seen the state of the Mayor.

"Here.." Fast Trek gestured to the couch nearest them, and Corona set him down. Another pony gave him bandages and the gargoyle began patching Overwatch up. With a practised ease he was soon taking care of the injured stallion.

"Its getting worse," Fast Trek shook her head, "we cant last much longer."

She watched in concerned silence as the gargoyle Captain worked. Out of the corner of her eye, she seen Sombra heading back upstairs.

Back in the office, Sombra pushed the tree back out the window. Another pony with a similar thought brought up some old wooden boards, and together they patched the window as best they could, to at least block the snow from coming in.

"There has to be something we can do?" Sombra murmured to the crystal guard pony as he met him at the bottom of the staircase once the task was done. Fast Trek drifted over, and Sombra asked was there no way the Mayor would hear him out?

"I hate to say it, but its looking unlikely. Your majesty, I swear he's not as bad as he acts!" Fast Trek blurted in exasperation "I don't know why he's so mad at you. I guess you've managed to improve our chances with one encounter versus what he's been trying to do for years."

"I see." Sombra sighed.

They heard another window breaking upstairs.

"The winds getting too strong!" Fast Trek felt about to cry "there's no way to stop these storms. The town can't take much more!"

Again Sombra thought he felt a strange tugging to the outside, flashes of that artefact running through his mind.

He asked her about it, and she gave a worried laugh.

"If only that old story was true, your majesty." she sighed.

Sombra frowned, as his thoughts all pointed in one direction. "Forgive my assumptions, but I have the feeling it may well be. Since I first seen it, I had a funny feeling. I think it might be an arcane magic artefact. Normal magic would be ineffective, but DARK magic? Maybe it could work."

"So that could be why we never figured it out, in all these generations?" Fast Trek wondered. Sombra nodded.

"Dark magic is pretty much illegal, so it likely wouldn’t have been considered." He agreed.

The ponies were starting to panic, as the wind seemed to be pressing against the glass even more. The panes were rattling loudly.

"Get everypony away from the windows!" Sombra told trek. She nodded "where are you going?"

"I’m going outside. I need to see that artefact!"

"Outside, are you crazy?" she gaped "you wont be able to see-?"

"I'll find my way, trust me." Sombra promised. He approached the door, lowered his goggles and took a deep breath.

He charged the door, pitching outside into the cold. His cloak was whipped about, serving little use against the icy winds. He pressed out, using the light from his horn to light the way, but he could feel that same sense of power leading him blindly. Soon he bumped into the base of the fountain. His hooves skittered on ice as he braced himself to clamber up onto the frozen bowl, now a solid lump of ice where once water filled it. He stood on his hind legs, his wings too weighted down by snow to flap them.

He nudged the stone ball with his muzzle, his magic shifting and swirling. He seen glimpses of images, very old, of an enchantment this stone once possessed. It'd faded, the magic fading until it become dormant, sealed in stone.

He pressed his horn to the ball, hoping there was enough left inside to reignite. He felt it catch, begin to absorb his magic. It would take a LOT to waken it, but it was their only choice. It was basic, but in a way it reminded him of the crystal heart. It was a protector. What it would do exactly, whether it would shield the town or otherwise he didn’t know, but time was running out for these ponies.

There was a flash of light, and a blinding pain in his head. He was thrown backwards by an explosion of pent up force as the artefact was finally kick-started. A sharp red light blinded his vision as it exploded across the sky. His right shoulder clipped something pointy and his gasp of pain was lost in the wind as he finally came to a halt sprawled in the snow.

Lifting his head he seen a pillar of red light blazing up into the sky. It’d blasted through the storm, creature a calm around where it and Sombra were located. As Sombra stared, it flashed again, and as he’d hoped, formed a barrier that started around the fountain and spread out rapidly, the wind dying down as it soon encompassed the whole town.

Sombra stared in amazement. He could feel a small breeze brush his coat, but the snowstorm seemed a world apart now, contained by whatever this thing was. Its purpose was clear. It'd been made to guard. Its origins were unknown, but Sombra was more sure than ever it had been created using dark magic. With its ban across Equestria, this artefact had eventually lapsed, and essentially hibernated. Looking up at it now he seen the stone around it had fallen away, revealing a crudely cut crystal of a red and blue tint, the colours mixing and swirling. He heaved a sigh, grateful his crazy brand of magic had been satisfactory enough to waken it. While he DID possess dark magic, it was altering to blend with the Umbrum power he'd inherited as the Infinitum.

He'd just rolled himself onto his hooves when the doors to the town hall bust open, and a veritable stream of ponies came pouring out.

"Sire!" Corona came racing over "are you alright?"

“I’m fine.." Sombra smiled, untangling his cloak and setting it straight on his back again. He felt his shoulder throb briefly but ignored it, it was probably just a sprain.

"How...how did you do that?" Trek looked from Sombra to the artefact hovering above the fountain now, shaped like a bolt of lightning, albeit a crude one "was it..?"

"Yes, this is a type of dark magic shield. Therefore it required magic of an arcane nature to waken. Not widely used in Equestria"

"Dark magic? Isn’t that dangerous?!" somepony panicked. Sombra shook his head.

"As long as the one controlling it is well versed, it CAN be safe. It just takes a lot of training. Or being born with it. Princess Celestia is a recognised practitioner of dark magic, alongside myself."

The ponies nodded, relaxing as they realised this pony was telling the truth. The rumours from the papers said he'd been protected and guarded on Celestia's orders. It was obvious he'd been able to work it out and now they at least had a shield, the storm being held back by the pulsing energy.

Sombra headed back inside, followed by the towns-ponies. But his good mood faded fast as he seen Overwatch was awake and...being Overwatch. He was demanding to know what was going on?!

When he seen Sombra, he immediately assumed he'd caused trouble.

"What did you do? What happened to the storm? I don't want this town protected by corrupt magic-"

Corona had had enough. The words were out of him before he could reign them in, and King Sombra was too far behind him to stop him.

"You impetuous cretin!" he snapped. His voice was sharp enough to silence the Mayor mid rant.

"You'd be in a far worse state had his majesty not pulled that tree off your sorry tail. The storm is gone because his majesty got that thing outside to generate a shield! How dare you-"

"Captain!" Sombra said, concerned. He finally reached the furious gargoyle and raised a hoof to request Corona stand down. But it was the same side of his body the injury to his shoulder was on. The cold of the snow he'd landed in had numbed it, making it easily forgotten. Now however- he halted mid-movement, cursing sharply. The ponies standing behind him seen a crimson stain bloom on the fancy cloak. Corona stopped mid-rant, honing on in his King's distress.

"Sire?" he asked.

"I-it's alright." Sombra fibbed, but the ponies were startled by the sight of the spreading bloodstain. Corona seen what they were glancing at, panicked whispers racing around. He carefully peeled the cloak away from the wound.

"It looks deep sire." he said worriedly.

"I must have hit something when the artefact kicked off, I was not expecting it to be so violent in its waking. I'm sure I can fix it." Sombra tried to shift back to his crystal form, but it seemed he'd expended more magic than he'd thought rebooting that shield and the attempt fizzled out, reverting to his illusion form again. This accidentally caused the wound to bleed heavier.

"Good grief your majesty, cease doing that!" Corona paled.

"D-duly noted.." Sombra grimaced. He'd have to wait before trying that again. It felt like contact with that thing out there had scrambled his head a little. It'd been a risk trying to wake that thing, he hadn’t had time to study any potential backlash.

"Sit down," Fast Trek said "I’ll fetch some supplies."

Corona shot Overwatch one last filthy look and guided the King as far away from the obtuse Mayor as possible. Trek handed Corona some bandages and a bowl of warm water with a cloth. Sombra cursed softly as Corona washed the wound.

The gargoyle frowned "this looks deep your Majesty. We may need to stitch it."

"There’s some anaesthetic in my office, with the wind at bay its safe to go fetch it!" the towns doctor spoke up, and Corona gave a grateful nod.

The ponies hovered as close as they could, watching as the doctor injected the numbing agent into the area surrounding the deep cut. Sombra winced and cursed softly, but otherwise didn’t seem too pained by the process. With stitches put in, the wound was bandaged and the doctor recommended Sombra try not to move around too much.

Sombra thanked him for the assistance, and headed over to his previous spot by the window. A glance outside revealed the artefact was holding up well, although Sombra had a concerning feeling growing in his gut.

He looked down at the cloak folded on the floor next to him. With the way the way he'd clipped the sharp edge of the fountain, it had left a sizeable tear in the fabric, surrounded by blood.

He soon realised if he tried to lie down the stitches would strain, the movement sending twinges of pain through him. He grimaced and sighed, instead leaning the side of his body against the wall, his tired reflection looking back at him. Hearing hoof-steps he looked around, seeing Fast Trek.

"You OK?" she asked, looking at the cut on his shoulder. He nodded, explaining he'd had worse. Once his magic recovered enough, he'd be able to fix himself in his crystal form.

"Do you wanna lie down?" she asked "you look about ready to pass out sitting up, and that doesn’t look comfortable."

Sombra gave in, and nodded gratefully. She escorted him to a spare room sometimes used by anypony working late in the offices upstairs. Sombra laid himself down as best he could, avoiding putting pressure on the cut. Eventually he dozed off, exhausted from the mental and physical madness this trip had brought. What was he going to do about that stubborn Mayor?

He woke later on, when it was night and sat up slowly. His shoulder stung, but his head didn’t ache as much. His memory felt better at least, less muddled.

All the same, it felt like there were memories that were not his own, but he couldn’t access them yet.

He was heading for the bathroom when the night took an interesting turn, he smiled softly as he slipped past the sleeping guard sat by his door. Sombra decided against waking him, the poor crystal pony was probably exhausted.

As he walked past a window, he seen a flash of movement. He peered out into the night, seeing something whisking out of sight behind a looming shed. The storage-!

Without thinking, he engaged his magic. He felt his shoulder ache, but he was able to turn into the shadow version of him, thus making it easy to create a gateway to outside via the shadows cast by moonlight.

He crept closer to the shed, ears pricked for the smallest sound. He slipped into a crack between the thick heavy boards. Inside it was almost pitch black, but for a pale green glow. He snuck between the shelves, zeroing in on the light source. It was a small figure wearing a cloak. It was pony shaped as far as he could tell, but he couldn’t see the face.

"Hay.." he said softly. The figure whirled and he caught a glimpse of wide green eyes before they dropped the glowing tube held in their mouth. It hit the floor, breaking and going dull once the liquid was exposed to the air. The room was plunged into total darkness and Sombra heard a girls scared gasp, and bumbling hoof-steps. Then, at the far end of the shed, Sombra seen a door fly open.

Glimpses of two deputy's were caught as they moved between the shelves, and Sombra made a quick decision. he whooshed over, grabbing the cloaked intruder and whisking them both away to a far corner hidden behind some crates that seemed to be almost empty.

"Don’t make a sound," Sombra whispered "or we're both in trouble."

They stayed silent, and Sombra thought they’d escaped detection, then he heard the first pony say;

"Hay, what’s this? A test tube?"

Sombra heard his impromptu companion gasp, her voice laden with panic. He glanced around, and seen the open door at the far end.

"I'm going to make a run for it, will you trust me?" he asked. In the dim light, the cloaked one nodded. He carried her in his magic as he crept out from behind the boxes, and darted across the gap towards the door. He heard one guard blurt;

"Who's there?" but all he would've seen was a shadow moving just slightly, then it was gone.

Outside, Sombra flew them both as far as possible, hiding them round the back of a seemingly abandoned house. The storm had dealt it a heavy blow. He set the little pony down, and sighed in relief.

"That was close..." he muttered "Who are you?"

The cloaked figured backed away. He could just about see her eyes, and they looked wary.

"I’m not here to hurt you, i promise. I seen you creeping around and wondered who you were. Are you the thief-"

“I’m not a thief!" she blurted, then clapped a hoof over her mouth. Sombra seen she had some gold bangles around her forelegs.

"Then what are you doing here?" Sombra asked.

"It's not stealing, I’m doing it for my brother!" she said sharply "he's a baby, he needs things."

"Then ask the Mayor-"

“I don’t LIVE here! Besides, he wont help."

"Why?" Sombra asked.

She sighed, glancing around before throwing back the hood. She had pale grey fur, with dark grey stripes, Her hair fell in waves around her young face, green eyes framed by big black lashes.

"I'm from a Zebra settlement." she said, before Sombra could point out the obvious.

"A Zebra?" Sombra was curious "I’ve never met one before."

"Cant say I’ve met a talking shadow either!"

"I'm-"

“Oh I know who you are! You're Sombra!" she said brightly. Then she frowned as the shadow winced, gazing away from her. Even though he was a shadow, she got the impression he'd just tensed up. He seemed to be expecting something.

Seconds of silence passed, and she asked "why did you do that?"

“Do what?" Sombra asked, throat dry.

"That. Look all scared." she blinked "I wasn't going to say anything mean."

Sombra blinked, looking startled. "but you know who i am, that must mean-"

"Yeah yeah, I’ve seen a history book," she said dismissively "but i also know about the...second round, the NOW stuff."

"How..?" Sombra asked.

"I've been stealing their papers too." she said with a cheeky grin. This made Sombra laugh softly.

"So I know you’re not dangerous. You gave me a fright when you snuck up on me like that, but once I realised who you were." She smiled "I recognised your eyes. They're kind."

She seemed very wise for a young child, and Sombra found himself relaxing a little.

"What’re you doing here? The papers are saying you live in Canterlot?"

"I came here to try reason with the mayor, but its failing. Normally i live at the building site. That’s where the new empire is being built, to house the Umbrum's."

"That’s your ponies right?" she asked.

Sombra nodded.

"The papers showed a few pictures, you look like crystal don’t you?"

"Indeed, we’ve been likened to sculptures." Sombra smiled softly.

"My names Fern." The zebra said at last.

"Are you out here alone, Fern? What about the storms?"

"I got here earlier, I’ve been hiding for awhile. Then I heard that big explosion, seen that barrier crop up. Did you do that?"

Sombra nodded "its keeping the storm at bay for these ponies."

Fern looked sad "I wish somepony could do that for US." she said sorrowfully.

"How do you mean?" Sombra asked.

So she told him.

The Zebra's had taken to living in a network of caves since the storms began, but it made it impossible to grow much food since they didn’t have the same resources the town did. So she'd taken to creeping down here to take urgently needed things.

"My brothers only tiny, he needs more than momma can give him..." she explained. Seeing Sombra's expression she blurted "I know stealing is wrong, but we need help too! And that Mayor wont help us!"

"You tried-?"

"Yes! Momma and Daddy tried. But they’re superstitious, or that Mayor is, because we showed up when their crops were failing and he blamed us. Didn’t give us a chance. They all acted scared..."

This triggered something in Sombra's memory.

"Princess Twilight, she described a story like this. How all of her town once fled every time a nearby Zebra came to town. That’s how I knew what you were, she showed me a picture..."

"Wow, you met Princess Twilight? I’ve seen her picture, she looks like a nice pony."

“She is, she is one of the ponies that helped me recover."

"Were you sick?"

Sombra paused then nodded, in a way, he had been.

"I’m better now." he added, which seemed to reassure her.

"I have to go back now, before those guards catch me again." Fern sighed.

She picked up her bag, only to realise it’d gotten torn in the escape. Things started slipping out and she whimpered in dismay.

"Let me help.." Sombra said gently. "I'll walk with you to your settlement, I cant let you go out in that storm alone."

"You sure?" she asked. There was no denying it'd be harder getting back in the storm. She had a compass she used to chart her way, but the snow would make visibility poor. Maybe with this pony’s magic..?

"I'm certain." he said softly "Lets get closer to the outskirts first."

He transferred the things she had in her bag to his. As he was doing so, he seen her eyes light up as she spotted one of the little cake boxes he kept stashed in his bag.

"Go ahead, take it." Sombra smiled "I have plenty."

Her eyes lit up and he watched her as she gobbled the cake up in a few bites, every single crumb.

"That was so nice," she whispered "I wish we could have cake at home."

"There has to be a way I can help you too?" Sombra said.

"You’ll wanna talk to momma then, she's the head of our group. Daddy’s a healer, he makes potions we use for trade and ourselves."

They stepped out into the snow, and Sombra finally transformed into his illusion form.

"Hay, that’s the you from the past!" Fern grinned "can you do the crystal form too?"

Sombra nodded, and turned into the gorgeous crystal version.

"Whoaaa, that is amazing," Fern breathed "cool!"

Sombra set her atop his back, so she could read her compass and tell him where to go. They set off, Sombra raising his wings to shield her from the chill. She let her hoof run along the soft feathers, marvelling at their shine. Between changes in direction, she asked about his ponies, about the Umbrum.

In return, she told Sombra a lot about Zebras. Not much was known to the majority of Equestria, and Sombra took it all in with an air of fascination.

After a couple of hours trekking, Fern said they were close.

"Don’t your parents notice you’re gone?" Sombra asked. Fern shrugged.

"Not really. They’re pretty busy looking after my brother and everypony else. There's quite a few of us kids, and I bribe a few to cover my back."

"I see." Sombra was surprised by the level of effort she'd put into this.

"This is the first time I got caught by the storm. They'll definitely know I’m missing now."

"Don’t worry, I’m sure they'll understand you did it out of love for your brother."

Fern felt a little better at his kind words, and nodded.

Soon they reached a sheer cliff face, and she pointed up to where the mouth of the cave waited. Sombra swallowed nervously as he stared up at it. The last time he'd been in a cave it hadn't been great.

"Hay, you OK? You’re shaking?" Fern frowned.

"Its...I have a…a phobia of caves. The tight spaces, the stone, it feels like its going to crush me." Sombra admitted.

"Oh man, I’m sorry. But it's not that bad, I promise. The tunnels a little narrow, but inside it's big, you could fly right around if you needed to. There's lot of Zebra's there, you wont be alone."

Sombra nodded. He had a promise to keep, and he couldn’t leave this kid alone. Plus it seemed the Zebras needed help as badly as the village did. Whether he'd have a shot at convincing THEM either was uncertain.

"Alright, lets go." he said as he extended his wings, feeling his shoulder object a little. He flew them up to the mouth of the cave where he touched down.

Fern hopped down now, leading the way past screens of branches and leaves, showing him where to duck to avoid banging his head. The whole time he walked he could feel the water splashing off his coat, could almost hear the tonnes of rock over his head. Soon they emerged into a MASSIVE cave.

Fern hadn’t been exaggerating. It was easily big enough inside to fly in. Not far, admittedly, but there was space enough. It was decorated with what had to be traditional masks and bottles, and lanterns lit the cave brightly.

"Halt right there! how did you get in here?" he jumped as two beefy Zebra stallions stepped in front of him now. They did double takes as they spotted this intruder was an Alicorn. And an odd one at that.

"Ugh, will you two knock it off!" Fern objected, and they finally looked down,. noticing her there.

"He found me out in the storm, and carried me back here. Be nice. And fetch momma please." she said primly. Sombra fought the urge to laugh at how calm she was.

"Stay with him." One muttered to the other. And so Sombra found himself staring down the pointy end of a spear for the second time in one day. The guard noticed his lack of fear and tried to read this pony's intentions. What was he? He had a faint suspicion, something about a paper. But once again, Sombra's poker face gave away nothing.

"Fern." A stern female voice met their ears and both turned as a female Zebra wearing very decorative jewellery and a headdress approached them now.

"Momma!" Fern ran over and was hugged gently by her mother.

"You gave me a fright, child of mine. Just where have you been, all this time?"

"I went...foraging. I got caught in the storm." Fern fidgeted under her mothers gaze "I went to the village."

"Fern you know better then to steal. Surely those ponies need their meal?"

"But we do too, and Ori..." she sniffled. Sombra realised Ori had to be her brother, the baby.

Fern's mother looked up, eyes widening a little at the figure the guard were keeping under close scrutiny.

"Step aside guardians, for I wish to see, the one who so kindly returned my daughter safely to me." she said calmly. The guard stepped aside as she approached. Her steely stare made Sombra think he wasn’t going to get any warmer a welcome here, and he felt his heart sink.

"I know who you are, and what you’re about, and-"

"I know, I know, “kindly get the hell out”." Sombra tried to sound light hearted yet calm "I understand. Just know that I’m not here to cause trouble, I merely wished to return the little miss to you. I couldn’t let her walk home in that storm."

To his surprise, the Zebra chuckled softly. Her eyes were smiling, making her seem less stern.

"-and there is much about you, that I wish to find out." she finished her sentence. Sombra felt himself flush slightly.

"He met the Mayor." Fern piped up "He wouldn’t listen to him either."

"Ah, so we have a common foe, there is much I wish to know. Will you follow me, where we can talk, and share some tea?"

Sombra nodded, amazed by her skills with rhyme. Was this a duty of the head of the Zebras? Fern seemed to talk with a regular speech pattern, as did the guard. Fern met his eyes, seeing his assumption, and nodded. So he was right.…

He followed after Fern's mother, who introduced herself as Aeris. Sombra inclined his head regally, saying he was pleased to meet her. She smiled at his manners.

Sombra felt distinctly uncomfortable as more and more Zebras came out to see this stranger. Some whispered, others merely watched. Sombra felt their gazes burning into his back, and his wings fluffed up, as if trying to soothe him.

Every so often, Aeris noticed, the guests eyes flicked up towards the ceiling, and a distant clanking sound made him stumble almost imperceptibly.

--Something troubles him, what could it be?-- she pondered.

She sent Fern to check on her baby brother, and set down with her guest. The room was decorated with all sorts of masks and pots of medicine, and some plants. The air had a flowery scent that made Sombra feel a little calmer. Aeris prepared some tea, which was wonderfully soothing, with a faint taste of herbs. The ceiling of this cave room was covered in fabric, and Sombra told himself he could make believe it wasn’t a cave.

"Do not fret, you are quite secure, there is no need for you to fear."

Sombra jumped slightly.

"My apologies," he said softly "It has been a very long day."

Aeris motioned him to speak and he found himself detailing his efforts to help the villagers, only to hit a barrier with Overwatch's refusal to see him as anything but a monster. He finished with a weary sigh, and studied her expression.

"Seems you met the same fate as us, the Mayor voiced such a fuss."

Sombra nodded "Fern mentioned he was superstitious. They’re quire....secluded out there, it concerns me."

Aeris nodded, saying she understood. Then she caught Sombra by surprise with her next statement.

"Yet there is a sadness in your eyes, what troubles one so wise?"

"Worried- oh-" Sombra scrambled to force a relaxed smile "it is nothing, truly."

Aeris shook her head, smiling softly. Seeing he wasn’t fooling her, Sombra sighed.

"I can seemingly do nothing to convince him to change his mind." he started pacing as he spoke, concern bubbling over "he simply will not hear me out! I understand his distrust of me, I told myself I would simply have to endure the lingering anger. After all, everything I did-"

"That is where you are mistaken, price for those actions has long been taken." Aeris said smoothly.

"How do you mean?" Sombra asked.

Aeris smiled again and explained she could see it in his eyes, the way he spoke, the story he'd told her about trying to help those ponies. She could see he'd endured a path of redemption most would falter at, and something about him told of a forgiveness already earned. She also added she'd read the papers Fern thought she'd hidden in her room, so she knew a little about him.

"Some pony's will seek chance to inflict hurt, the Mayors intent is to treat you as dirt. In this way he will beloved, whilst his true salvation? Into the wastes it is shoved."

"Then there’s nothing I can do?" Sombra sighed heavily. "It is so infuriating. Those in need are the ones who will suffer for his arrogance. They cannot live there for much longer!"

"The storms, they increase, the relentless assault will soon never cease." Aeris agreed.

"That’s what I’m worried about. And your home too, Fern told me about the situation."

Aeris motioned him to sit down and pored him some more tea. She spoke of their troubles, and her son, Ori. Fern worried he didn’t have enough, and this was what drove her to sneak out. She realised now all those times Fern had proven hard to find, she'd been foraging alone.

"I regret I was not there for her, it is quite a burden she must bear." Aeris sighed, looking saddened.

"She did it out of love, I got that much from her story." Sombra tried to help her feel better. Aeris smiled warmly, nodding gratefully.

"And, I know its probably a bit abrupt but maybe I can help you? If you are not adverse to it."

Aeris reached across and patted his hoof gently.

"Fear not, we would not refuse you. But it is a big burden, is there space enough with you?"

Sombra described the building site and showed her some memories of it, of what’d been accomplished so far. She seemed surprised by the fact he didn’t even insist he have his own home, happy to sleep in the barracks.

"I know it seems crazy, I’ve only just met you. But both you and that village are in dire straits, and I cannot help one and leave the other. It will take time, but I believe I can do it." Sombra explained.

Aeris nodded, and beckoned him to follow her now. They walked outside and Sombra asked where they were headed?

"We are going to address everyone, I wish them to take note. For with their curiosity satisfied, then we can vote."

Sombra understood. Aeris said she needed him to show those memories once more, and he was more then happy to.

She walked him to a balcony made of sturdy wooden planks, where a big bell hung. She rang it several times, and soon Zebras began to gather. Sombra felt something nudge his foreleg and looked down. Fern grinned up at him.

She sat duly sat atop her mothers back, and gestured to another zebra who came over to them.

"This is my Daddy, Timber." She said to Sombra. Sombra did as he had with Aeris, and politely greeted him.

"My daughter tells me you saved her from being trapped in that village all night, you have my thanks. She's a good girl, if a little impulsive."

Fern grinned innocently. Sombra chuckled.

"She's clever, and her hearts in the right place."

Timber nodded, kissing his wife on the cheek and smiling fondly at her. "Is there big news?"

Aeris gave a brief explanation and Timber did a double take, looking at Sombra.

"I'm serious." Sombra said, before Timber could ask.

"Whoa, seriously?" Ferns jaw dropped "what's it like where you’re living?"

Aeris told her she'd see shortly, and seeing that all Zebras were now assembled in the big space below, she approached the megaphone tied to the railings. In her beautiful rhythmic prose, she explained who their visitor was, and how he came to find them. Sombra flushed a little when she described him as "a blessing amidst the storm".

When she unveiled the fact he was offering them help, whether it was a new home or supplies, the crowd burst into loud clamouring. The sound echoed around the cave and Fern noticed Sombra glance up at the rock ceiling high above his head. She felt bad for him, he clearly didn’t like even big caves...

Sombra snapped back to reality when Aeris tapped his shoulder, and explained he was best suited to answer the question.

"Question?" Sombra said softly enough that it wouldn’t be picked up by anypony but her.

"They wish to know why you would take in an entire settlement. We cannot offer you much in return, and we do not have much money for rent."

"It is not-" Sombra wondered how to phrase it, then recalled what he'd told Fast Trek. His own story. He approached the megaphone now.

"What that town is going through, what YOU'RE going through, it happened to my species a long long time ago. They too were driven out of their home, at desperations peak. They didn’t have anypony to turn to, they were relying on the crystal empire being able to show them some mercy. That is why I cant leave here without at least offering supplies. Cadance and Shining Armor, the Crystal Empires rulers, have been helping build my home alongside the Gargoyles and Centaurs."

THIS caused some amazed whispers.

"You know the Centaurs?" Somepony called loud enough for Sombra to hear. Sombra nodded. He showed them memories of Haydon and Vorak, and explained their kindness to him.

"One of the two guards I brought to the town with me is a Gargoyle, he has taught me much about their culture. That’s why I want to offer a home to not just Umbrum's, but any pony or otherwise that's seeking somewhere new."

He sighed softly "It is not a matter of striking a deal for monetary gain or otherwise. I was lucky that I had Celestia's help in finding the land we're building upon now. She gave ME a chance at a better future, a lot of ponies did. Were it not for their mercy I wouldn’t be here, so it seems only right I follow in their hoof steps and help make a difference of my own."

Fern cheered, and she wasn’t alone. Many Zebras stamped their hooves in approval. They could hear how genuine his voice was, and the memories he was displaying to them matched his words. They seen Celestia, kind and patient, helping him find his footing in an uncertain world. Seen the Crystal Empire ponies cheering as another crystalline pony offered up a crown to Sombra. Added to this was glimpses of colourful ponies and a creature they also knew from history books.

"You know Discord?" Fern asked "I’ve read about him, isn’t he a prankster?"

"One of the best!" Sombra tried not to laugh. "In fact, he has been my best friend since this all began."

Aeris was amazed. This pony had befriended the lord of chaos?

Sombra smiled gently "he understood how it felt waking up after a long time asleep in darkness. He was one of the few that got through to me back at the start."

Aeris smiled, and stepped up beside Sombra, asking the Zebra's to place their vote by the time the sun rose.

"It is late, you must stay tonight. What roams outside is a terrible fright."

"You mean the Timberwolves?" Sombra asked "I know what you refer to, they’ve been a bit of a nuisance."

But he was happy to agree to staying until dawn and the vote. As they walked along, Aeris stopped a passing guard to ask a question, and something clicked in Sombra's brain. Something he'd totally forgotten in his eagerness to help Fern and her fellow Zebras. He swore softly in the Umbrum language.

"What’s the matter?" Timber asked.

"It completely slipped my mind..." Sombra shook his head "my guard will not know where I am! I snuck out to investigate miss Fern's storage raid and come shift change, they may well notice my absence. If not then, the morning light..."

"Fret not, the storm will have died down," Timber assured him "We will travel with you back to the town. Aeris and I agree we should speak with that Mayor alongside you."

Sombra looked troubled, but Aeris assured him he needn’t worry. They would not let the Mayor walk all over them, they would be reasonable and respectful.

"Shame he will not likely show such decency in return." Sombra frowned

But Aeris told him it wasn’t a problem, they wanted to do it. She showed him to a spare room he could stay in.

Left on his own, Sombra TRIED to sleep. But he was keenly aware of the ceiling above his head. A ceiling of tonnes of rock... He shivered, feeling chills.

--Stop it. It is perfectly safe. I’m sure of it.-- but he still felt a distinct sense of unease. The torches outside let in some light and the candle in his room helped, but it would go out eventually. He pulled the covers over his head, but that felt worse and he hurriedly pushed them off. He tried to lie down, but the knowledge he was stuck inside a cave wasn’t going away.

He paced the room as the candle wore down, until eventually it sputtered out, plunging the room into darkness. In desperation he created a spell, a small ball of purple flame that shone just bright enough to hide the ceiling in shadows.

He eventually dozed off, but it wasn’t long before he was woken by the sounds of hoof-steps traipsing the rocky corridor past his room. With a muted groan, he resigned himself to getting up.

He waited until the corridor was quiet, then stuck his head out the makeshift door. Nopony there. He walked slowly along the enclosed rock way, keeping his heart-rate steady by controlling his breathing. This kept his wings from fluffing up the way they did when he was anxious. Things felt a little easier when he emerged into the more spacious open area. He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath before setting off towards where he'd last seen Aeris. Mid way there, he seen the balcony he'd stood on with Aeris to make the announcement. He hoped he was doing the right thing. But a big part of him knew with what he'd learnt about how his race had suffered a similar fate to the two groups he was offering help to, he couldn’t walk away.

"Good morning-" the voice startled Sombra and he yelped, wings going POMF.

"Sorry.." he blurted, and he cantered round to face the Zebra he'd been looking for.

Aeris smiled, assuring him it was alright, she hadn’t meant to startle him. She stood beside him at the railing as he turned back to gazing at the view below.

Below them Zebras milled about, there was an exchange market open by the looks of things, and tables set up to one side for them to sit and eat at. Then he noticed how many kids were either pausing to look up at him, or craning their heads from the seating area to get a look. He faintly seen one younger Zebra flapping his forelegs like wings, and the others around him nodded. Sombra realised his wings were still up, and hurriedly folded them down. The whole "when startled, go POMF" thing seemed mostly to just be him, he hadn’t seen any other Umbrum's doing it. Maybe because he was still adjusting to them in some ways?

Aeris asked was he hungry? Sombra nodded, and she asked would he be averse to dining with her and the other citizens of the settlement. It would do them good to see the pony who'd essentially saved them. Sombra nodded, following after her as they descended the rocky steps and rope bridges to get to the bottom floor. Out of habit Sombra glanced up at the ceiling, then snapped out of it and continued following Aeris. She led him to a mostly empty table, where she she said her husband would soon join them with Fern. Sombra nodded and she left to go get some food. Sombra couldn’t begin to guess at the number of eyes fixed on him now, but it felt like a lot. What should he do...or..say?

THIS was new. So far he'd gotten used to the relaxed atmosphere of the work-site, of ponies who knew about him and weren’t surprised by his presence. This was new, he was a total stranger to them. Admittedly entering the town had felt the same, but that’d rapidly turned dangerous when the storm hit and Overwatch expressed his scathing hatred. This was the polar opposite, these Zebras had accepted his offer of help, they were trusting he would keep his promise. It couldn’t have been easy for them.

His wings itched and he allowed them to fluff up slightly, afraid he might hit something or somepony if he stretched them here. That was the downside to the large fluffy things.

He felt something pet one of the wings and looked down, seeing one brave little colt sat on the bench beside him, studying the wings with curiosity.

"Why are they going floof?" he asked. Sombra cleared his throat, seeing more kids hovering nearby.

"They cramp up a lot, and when they want to stretch they start doing that.." he laughed. The kid leaned sideways, gauged the distance and shrugged.

"Go ahead, nopony's gonna get hit..." he lowered his voice "plus Fern said they look totally cool and they ALL wanna see." meaning the other kids.

Sombra smiled softly, before unfolding them slowly, sighing in relief as they stretched properly.

"Wow," the kid grinned "they’re so big! Are you a good flyer?"

"Not the best," Sombra laughed "I only got them a short while ago, and learning to fly has been a little hit and miss."

"Is it true ponies can walk on clouds?" one filly asked, waving her hoof in the air like this was a classroom. Sombra nodded.

"Pegasi, the winged ponies, certainly can. So too can Alicorn's like the Princesses." Then he added as an afterthought "and myself, although it gives me the shivers for some reason. I keep expecting to fall right through!"

He mimed how tense he'd been the first time he'd been on a cloud, and the kids giggled.

“Fern said you’re a King, is that true?” another asked, Sombra nodded.

“Cool, I’ve never met a real King before, nopony here has!” one kid said, and they all nodded. They lived so far out the most they knew of the Princesses was what they'd learned from books.

“How come you’re not wearing your crown?” another piped up. Sombra chuckled.

“I spend most of my time working at a building site, it isn’t practical to wear it. I'd be worried about it getting damaged by the work. It is kept safe in a locked chest in the communal barracks.”

“Dontcha have a Palace to live in?” one colt asked curiously. Sombra shook his head.

“I want the residential buildings, the places where everypony is going to live, to be finished first. There are a lot of ponies waiting for their new home, and I want them to get it as soon as possible. It would take forever to build a palace, so I figured it could wait...”

Aeris returned with food, as well as her husband and child. Fern greeted her friends, and went to sit with them after greeting the King. The kids bid him farewell and Sombra waved happily as they bounded away.

Sombra heard whispers racing around the eating area as he started on his food. It was delicious, and Timber told him they used traditional recipes passed down from generations past.

"It is delicious!" Sombra said appreciatively. "There is a cook at the building site who has been making traditional Umbrum recipes from my species memories. I was informed they are very old, passed down through families in much the same way."

Timber asked Sombra to tell them about the Umbrum's. So he did. He started with the story he'd given the other Zebras at the meeting last night, how they’d been desperate and out of options. Then came the tale of the accidental war, his mothers escape, and his creation.

Jaws dropped when he told the story that coincided with the history books, how he'd lost his mind.

"Turns out I wasn’t immune to the crystal heart, it got to me too. Slowly, over time, it corroded my defences, and when my full power was set free, it accelerated the unknown damage. I never knew what I was growing up."

"But then you were awoken, in a madman’s game merely a token?" Aeris asked, recalling what she'd read from the papers Fern had stashed in her room.

Sombra nodded, a faint shiver running up his spine. He censored the story as best he would while still being honest.

"He wanted to break his brother out of Tartarus. But first he had to stop the Princesses. He was told dark magic might be the key. That led him to find what remained of my physical form after the crystal heart took me out, and use ritual magic to restore my physical body. From there he was storing the magic he took from me, I could not escape, could not fight him. Helpless to fight back or do a thing to stop him. I thought I was done for, until a little Alicorn and her friends found me and took me away from that."

"The time of day so near to night, is the Alicorn you refer to, Princess Twilight?" Aeris asked. Sombra nodded.

"She and her friends brought me to Celestia. She offered me a new home if I could help her stop Scorpan. At first I didn’t trust any of them. What reason did they have to trust me, let alone forgive what I’d done? But in the end, I was able to save Canterlot and face the Crystal Empires caretakers. And they were kind to me. They didn’t have to be, but they offered me a second chance. Now, they are working with me, giving supplies to the building site. It was more than I could’ve asked for, and it has made me so happy that they could give me a second chance. not just the rulers, but the citizens too." he smiled. "They call me the "Hero of Canterlot". At first, it felt strange to be referred to as something...good."

"Sounds like both sides learned a lot about one another," Timber remarked, and Sombra smiled happily.

"Indeed we did. I'm still catching up to everything I’ve missed these last thousand years. So much progress has been made."

"Quite a tale for you to tell. Tell me, are you feeling well?" Aeris thought he seemed a little pale. She seen him glancing at the high ceiling. It seemed there was more to this then just nerves...

"Ah," Sombra coughed "I'm fine. It still frightens me a little how easily things could’ve gone wrong if I hadn’t had the girls to help me."

"Seems to me your own strength is equally to thank," Timber added "sounds to me like you CHOSE who to fight for. You had the right reason to turn on that monster. That’s why they call you a hero."

Sombra blinked, he hadn’t thought about it that way. He flushed slightly, it was getting a little easier to discuss what’d happened. His story...

He seen movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head. There were a lot of zebras standing clustered around the table. He'd been so lost in memory he hadn’t spotted them. If his wings weren’t already up, they’d have gone POMF. As it was they gave a surprised twitch then went still.

"Sorry," One Zebra said when he seen the wing twitch "we didn’t mean to startle you, we assumed you'd noticed us all.."

"Ah," Sombra laughed softly "I have a tendency to drift into my own world sometimes. Its not the first time I’ve drawn a crowd and not realised.." he flashed back to when he'd had that soul searching discussion with the pony's at the site.

He indicated his cutie mark "oddly, that’s how I gained this. By finally talking instead of hiding away. In fact, this was the first time an Umbrum had gotten a cutie mark. Traditionally we never had them before."

"Really?" one mare asked. Sombra nodded.

"In the Umbrum species, I am what is referred to as an "Infinitum". Much like the princess, Infinitum's are Alicorn's. It also comes with some unusual attributes. one of which is the ability to, how do I put it, ALTER myself. I was able to assimilate the Crystal Hearts influence in this form and convert it into an immunity. Immunity that I was then able to transfer to the waiting members of my species. Information about what the Infinitum's truly where is still unknown, those memories have not been found yet..."

"So how did you make a cutie mark?"

Sombra chuckled, flushing slightly "Truth is, I had longed for one since I was a child. I'd given up, or so I thought. but upon the realisation of just what I was meant to do, it showed up out of the blue! I guess the idea never left me and with the Infinitum's power, it could become a reality!"

The Zebra’s cheered, it sounded like a happy occasion for Sombra! Sombra smiled warmly, that was how he had felt, overjoyed.

Soon it was time to go, and Sombra bid the other Zebra's farewell, hoping he'd seen them again soon. Many thanked him, stopping him personally to offer a smile, or to shake his hoof. Outside, the air was far more calm than it'd been the night before, and with Fern sat atop her mothers back, the three Zebras and one Alicorn set off for the town.

The storm was gone, just the regular chill wind sending flurries of snow into their faces.

As they walked Sombra answered any further questions about the Umbrum's, or what Canterlot was like? He described the city, how it'd been a home of sorts while he recovered...

Soon they seen the village appearing out of the misty air. It seemed too still. Too quiet.

Sombra felt a funny shiver run down his back that set his senses blaring...

Author's Note

I actually wrote this a few weeks back, but i was pretty stressed, and it got forgotten about. I wanted to get a chapter out before i start on my current project, so you'll have something to read! Enjoy~

Recovery

"Something is wrong," Sombra hissed softly, his body tense "this way."

He led them around some buildings and they crouched behind the same storage shed Sombra had met Fern in. Cautiously, Timber and Sombra poked their heads around the corner, and their stomachs sank.

"Bandits.." Timber whispered. There were carts scattered around the central square, with some guards standing by the fountain. They were mean looking, clad in heavy clothing and goggles. They carried bows and arrows, amongst other weapons. More were stationed around the perimeter of the town hall. Sombra made an educated guess that the citizens were in there.

"What can we do?" Fern whispered. Sombra motioned them to hide back, and the four of them ducked behind the warehouse.

"We have to free them..." Sombra whispered.

"How? We are but four in number, even your magic may not be enough, Mr Sombra." Aeris said.

"Just Sombra, please." The Alicorn said hurriedly "but you're right. If I go charging in there, there's no guarantee ponies will not get hurt. I don't know how many are unicorns."

"Hmm..." Fern blinked, then tugged her mother's saddlebag. Aeris had brought along herbs and powders, together with some hoof made blankets as an offering of friendship to the town. Fern whispered something to her mother, who nodded before looking to the King.

"We have an idea, Fern says it will work. From bravery, we shall not shirk."

“Lets hear it!” Sombra smiled. She nodded, and quickly explained it to him.

"Smoke and mirrors.." he breathed as she finished. It reminded him of something Discord had talked about, involving illusions.

"And a shadow!" Fern put in, as she grinned at him.

Once they had their roles sorted out, they crept into action...

The leader of the raiding party grinned to himself as he surveyed the hostages huddled in the town hall. This place was tiny, a mere road-stop. And it’d been an easy hit, everypony had conveniently been in one spot to make the raiders job easier.

They’d found the towns-ponies in the middle of a town meeting, in a fit of panic over a missing pony. Whomever it was, they got off lucky, he thought darkly. The rest hadn’t had a chance, finding themselves surrounded in seconds.

Any caught attempting to run were met by the guards he’d dispatched to the other exits of the big building. What had surprised him was the presence of a Gargoyle, one with a feisty temper to boot. Said Gargoyle had kicked off initially, but swiftly changed his tune when the innocent ponies he was with were held at spear-point. He was guarding a group of children now, trying to shield them from the scene.

Outside, the guards were getting antsy. When were they going to loot this place?

"What a dump." one sniffed.

"Yeah, don’t think we'll get much here, this place is falling apart already!" to demonstrate his point, the pony speaking kicked the fountain, causing chunks of worn stone to patter to the snow.

"It's those damn storms man, nearly froze my ass off-" his buddy complained.

"We all did, dumbass! This whole area's bucked-"

They broke off when they noticed a mist was creeping across the snow laden ground. Only this mist wasn’t like the normal kind. It was a pale green, pulsing faintly.

"What is THAT?" the first guard asked. The others looked over and broke rank to come stare at the strangely mesmerizing smoke. They didn't see the bigger, darker shadow forming behind them like an ominous storm-cloud.

By this time, Sombra had already snuck around the back and knocked out the ones guarding the back door, then slipped silently back around to the front, all whilst keeping out of sight of the windows.

Now he loomed up behind the guards goggling at the green mist. It was a product of Aeris' herbs, some water, and Fern and Timber's know how about potions. The herbs used had a scent that Aeris said appealed to the senses and would lull them into complacency. Sombra was amazed by her knowledge, he'd never have guessed some simple herbs could do such things!

Now however, he took full advantage, grinning darkly. The ponies, sensing a shadow looming over them, turned as one and were met by a phantom with glowing eyes. They had just enough time to see it was a unicorn, then a bright purple flash stunned them and they blacked out, crumpling to the snow like rag dolls. Not even time to scream...

Sombra nodded to the Zebra family and they nodded back, creeping around the back. They were going to open the rear door and start getting ponies clear in case a fight broke out. Fern carried a smoke bomb just in case they needed to cause a distraction.

Corona did a double take when something tugged his tail. He peered behind him as subtly as he could, and seen a stripy face blinking at him from under a tablecloth.

"This way.." she gestured towards the rear door "we're gonna get you out!"

"We?" Corona mouthed, and then he spotted two more Zebras hiding behind the door.

"There’ll be a distraction in a second..." the small one whispered. He nodded, and began whispering the message, so it was passed along one by one...

The one claiming to be in charge marched in front of them now, seeming impatient. One of his goons had escorted Overwatch upstairs, to "collect" any valuables. Said leader had five others with him, a mix of two pegasi and three unicorns, one being an archer.

He heard two thuds, and seen the gathered ponies eyes go wide. He spun round and his jaw dropped.

An impressive shadow filled the entranceway, grinning down at them. Its body swirled like ink in water, it was a haunting sight...

"O-open fire!" the leader gasped, and all unicorns fired blasts at the strange apparition. But the shadow merely seemed to absorb it, not even flinching. It merely bared its teeth in a grin. The unicorns faltered, confused. Why hadn’t it worked?

"My turn-!" Sombra grinned. A blast of stun magic hit the first pony in the chest, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. The pegasi flew at him, forcing him to duck and weave, separating and reforming to dodge their attacks before striking back hard. An arrow whizzed through him, embedding itself in the far wall. The unicorn archer backed up, panicking now. Magic didn’t damage this thing, arrows were no good...

Sombra charged the bewildered and shocked leader now, who'd remained rooted to the ground as his men were batted about like toys, knocking him out with the same stun magic.

The last remaining unicorn, the archer, seen his boss get taken out and tried to run, but was met by a pissed off Corona. Who promptly decked him with a hefty right hook.

"Nice work, your majesty!" he grinned at the flowing shadow. Sombra nodded.

"Overwatch, he's upstairs-"

Right as the mare called out, the pony that'd been guarding/menacing the frightened Mayor marched out to investigate the noise, dragging his hostage along with him. He stared at the shadow, and at the total wipe-out of his fellows. Without hesitation he pointed the spear he carried at Overwatch's throat. He could still escape if he played this right...

"Not one step.." he growled "or this meeting turns into a funeral!"

Sombra hesitated. He didn't want anypony getting hurt or killed...

"Show yourself..." the pony growled at the shadow. Why did this thing look familiar? "what are you?"

"As you wish." Sombra said levelly. As the Raider watched, the strange shadow coalesced into its normal form, of a stallion with jet black flowing mane and grey coat. No way…

The hostage taker faltered a little as he recognised who this was. The tyrant of the north, Sombra.

Sombra was a big pony, the Raider thought, and an Alicorn now to boot! But he still wouldn't be able to fire fast enough to stun him, before he made good on his threat to the older pony he was using as a shield. He grinned, it was all good. This would be easy...

Overwatch caught Sombra's eye, he was utterly terrified. His only hope for rescue was this menacing shadow King...

"Drop him." Sombra snarled "every one of your brainless followers has been taken care of, you are on your own. I will let you get a head start if you release him." He smirked darkly.

This made the Raider angry "Hey! I’m the one making the demands here, so unless you want blood on your hooves you freak, you'd better back down! Yeah, I recognise you, shadow tyrant!"

Sombra didn't flinch, merely maintaining eye contact with his opponent as he calmly spoke.

"It is of no concern to me how you view me, now or in the past. My concern is these ponies."

"They your latest acquisition? Well then, you'd better play nice hadn't you?" the hostage taker laughed. “I would honestly have to say you could do better then these fools.”

Overwatch studied Sombra to try and take his mind off the fear, whilst simultaneously praying this pony could save him. What Sombra had said hit a chord...

Sombra growled softly at the insult to these honest ponies, but he had an idea. Out of sight of the Raider, he could see Fern crouching beside a potted version of her namesake. "Threatening innocent ponies? Aren't you blowing smoke out your-"

Her eyes lit up and she grinned, slinking forward...

"I SAID SHUT UP!!" the pony screamed, he was getting desperate now. Why wasn’t this big buffoon more worried about the hostage? “I'll take this old fool out and it'll be your crime, you monster!”

Sombra scowled, but kept his temper in check, he just needed a few more seconds.

“You refer to me as the monster, yet if I were,” He snarled, showing those fangs again. He closed his eyes, and when they opened, their luminescent green glow highlighted their stark crimson shade. The translucent purple smoke spoke clearly of his dark magic heritage. When he spoke next, his voice was a deep growl “you'd be begging for a royal guard-”

“Stay where you are!!” his opponent screamed, nearly deafening poor Overwatch. Part of him recoiled in fear, this wasn't any ordinary pony!

He was so busy staring intently at the Alicorn, who stood so calmly at the base of the stairs, that he missed the hint Sombra had dropped a minute ago. He certainly didn't see the tiny Zebra hiding behind Sombra's legs now. She'd crept expertly from pony to pony, using them as cover before reaching Sombra.

However, he did see the smoke bomb as it sailed towards him, but by then it was too late. It hit him in the face, detonating and flooding the landing with grey smog.

"Strike!" Fern cried triumphantly. Even as her cry rang out, Sombra was already teleporting into the smoke. He'd kept his eye on Overwatch the whole time, and the smog didn’t hamper him from locating and grabbing the older pony, hauling him away by the collar of his shirt. He let go, having shoved the pony as far away as he could in a split second. He turned back to face where the robber had been standing, only for something to flash amidst the smoke, and pain bloomed brightly-

Blindly, his eyes stinging from the smog bomb as it flooded his vision, the attacker grabbed for his spear. Cursing, he jabbed at where he thought the pony should be. He felt the spear thud into something meaty and grinned as a cry of pain met his ears. Good, he'd caught one of them!

A bright flash hit him in the face and he was thrown back, unconscious before he hit the floor, the bloodied spear clattering to one side.

Sombra stumbled on his feet as the smoke began to thin. There was a deep wound on his right shoulder. He shivered, the world going hazy…

"Sonny-" Overwatch coughed as he staggered back around to face the pony who'd just hauled him out of a tight spot. The smog made him squint, vision blurry. His ears were ringing but he faintly heard a thunk and a cry of pain, then a flash of magic…

"Hay, you listening-?" Wiping his eyes, he seen Sombra just standing there in the rapidly dwindling smoke, hunching over slightly, and stumbled round to see his face. His words died in his throat as he seen what had caused the unnerving cry. It hadn’t been the attacker...

Sombra was swaying unsteadily on his feet, he'd gone pale as a sheet. Overwatch's eyes travelled down to a gaping wound that was trickling crimson down the pony's chest, soaking into his fur and dripping to the carpet. One hoof was trying pointlessly to staunch it, but it was to no effect. He was clearly in shock...

Overwatch knew he should move, should say SOMETHING, help him-! But he was rooted to the ground in fear, as time seemed to slow to a crawl.

By now the smoke had cleared enough for the ponies gathered below to realise something was wrong. Their cheers faded and were replaced by cries of panic as Sombra collapsed to the floor..

Overwatch stood still as a statue, feeling detached from it all as he watched Corona come darting up the stairs along with Fast Trek and the doctor. His ears rung now with his own terrified heartbeat. This couldn’t be happening…

While the two ponies fussed over his majesty, Corona turned to Overwatch.

"Wake up!" he shouted, shaking the pony sharply.

"What...?" Overwatch said weakly.

"Snap out of it!" Corona barked "Your ponies need your help, go calm them!"

He shoved Overwatch towards the stairs. The order ringing in his ears, Overwatch stumbled drunkenly down the steps, nearly tripping. At the bottom he was met by three Zebras, two adults and one little filly. The female said something, but he was still in shock and could only shake his head numbly. The crowd pressed in around them, asking about the Alicorn?

Glancing back, Overwatch seen the doctor and Trek helping Corona move his majesty into Overwatch's office, where there was a fireplace and they'd have room to work. The door shut behind them and everypony fell silent.

"He’s not-? He's not gonna die is he?" Rockhopper mumbled, shaking "h-he cant-!"

More panicked rumbles swept through the crowd, and Aeris spoke softly to her husband. He nodded and took the bag from her back and went upstairs.

The crystal empire guard, seeing Overwatch wasn’t going to snap out of it any time soon, herded everypony back. He told them to return to their homes, or if they felt safer, stay here. He requested the Deputy’s come with him to round up and TIE up the robbers. They’d need to contact the nearest authority, which in this case would be the Crystal Empire. The building site had no way to hold so many lawbreakers.

Soon, they had them tied up and confined to the storage shed. Two Deputy’s were assigned to stay with them at all times in case of trouble. But it seemed like whatever spell Sombra had used knocked them out pretty thoroughly, they’d be asleep for awhile.

Aeris made some tea and with the help of her daughter and another pony from the village, they moved amongst the shocked ponies, calming them as best they could.

But all the chatter faded when the door upstairs opened and shut and a tired, slightly bloodied Corona flew down to them.

"Is he-?" Overwatch managed to speak, only to flinch nervously as Corona shot him a grim look. Then the Gargoyle turned back to the crowd at large.

"His Majesty has a severe stab wound, he's lost quite a bit of blood. We've got him stable for now, but he needs a hospital. At present, he has a nasty fever and we cannot risk transporting him just yet, we don’t have any covered transport to keep him warm and dry.”

“You can stay here, as long as it takes.” a deputy piped up “until he's better if needs be!”

“Thank you,” Corona smiled tiredly “once he's strong enough, we can work something out.”

The ponies stayed in the town hall for some hours more, mostly too worried and shaken by what'd occurred to leave the comfort of the group. Eventually those with children returned home, but everypony else elected to stay as long as they could.

But Sombra's condition only got worse as the evening wore on. He became feverish and delirious, running a scathingly high temperature. The wound was still bleeding, and the doctor was concerned about infection.

Overwatch eventually went to bed in the spare room in the town hall, but his mind would not stop replaying the horror scene of hearing Sombra being stabbed. There’d been so much blood, what if the King didn’t make it? They were a long way from the Crystal Empire...

He fell asleep at last, frantic dreams keeping him from sleeping too deeply.

But they sent out a clear signal to a certain dream walking Princess...

"Waken, now!" the voice was female, demanding.

Overwatch groaned, sluggishly opening his eyes at last, focusing on a face close to his. Who was disturbing him this late?

Turquoise eyes bored into his, framed by elegant lashes. A jet black crown was perched atop a starry mane.

"Princess Luna-!" he realised who it was and bolted up in bed. "w-what?"

"We heard thy dreams calling to us, where is Sombra?" the moon Princess asked.

"H-he's in my office-" Overwatch scrambled out of bed, hurrying over to the door, Luna right behind him.

He led her along the hall and seen Corona look up from his post, doing a double take.

"Princess Luna?" he bowed politely "what are you doing here?"

"We are here to help Sombra, we know his condition is critical." Luna said bluntly. Corona nodded, opening the door and ushering them in. Luna walked over to Sombra, who was lying on the couch, wrapped in blankets. His breathing was ragged, and his coat damp with sweat. A hoof check on his forehead showed a high fever.

"We brought our best carriage. With it we can transport him to the Empire, post haste! We brought the Canterlot night doctor, he awaits us outside. Sombra will be safe and warm during the journey, we promise."

"Right, let's get him out of here then. I'm going with you-" Corona began, but Luna shook her head, a hoof raised to stop him.

"This place needs thy help, I understood Sombra was here to assist?" she glanced at Overwatch "from your dreams, at least?"

Corona snorted and Luna cast him a brief look, seeing him glaring at Overwatch. But the Gargoyle cleared his throat and nodded in response to the question.

"Whatever plan Sombra hath prepared, can thou continue it in his place?" she asked, and Corona nodded.

"Yes ma'am." he affirmed with a salute.

Satisfied, Luna nodded and returned her attention back to Sombra. She used her magic to create a stretcher and with the Gargoyle's help, she moved him onto it. Just as they were heading towards the door, it opened and a sleepy doctor stared at the scene.

"What in Equestria is going on?" he frowned, then seen Luna “Princess?”

"We are taking Sombra to the Crystal Empire, he needs a hospital. My chariot awaits outside and we will make good time. Once he is stable, we will return with news."

All of this filtered through the doctor's sleepy brain, and he nodded. He hurried to fetch the notes Timber had made on what herbs and medicine Sombra had already been given, and Luna stashed it in her bag. The two ponies and one Gargoyle watched as Luna brought the injured pony into her carriage, bid them farewell and shut the doors. Seconds later and it was gone, off into the sky...

"What do we do now...?" Overwatch sounded lost and Corona sighed, deciding to go easy on him.

"We wait, and we get started on the matter his majesty wished to discuss before you went full ego on him." Corona said calmly. Overwatch sighed, but accepted this.

"First thing in the morning, come see me." he said at last, and Overwatch nodded.

They returned to their beds, worried about the King...

Luna sat by Sombra's side, as her loyal bat-pony guards flew as fast as they were able back towards the Crystal Empire. Sombra flinched in his sleep from time to time, as the small jostling movements caused him pain.

“This is pretty bad, Princess,” the doctor said bluntly “I can tell you now the wound is at the starter stage of infection. Whatever he was stabbed with must have carried some nasty germs. He's going to need intensive treatment.”

“We are going as fast we can, it wont be long now.” Luna replied, studying the sick Sombra. He uttered a low moan of pain, ears flattened down against his head. She patted his shoulder gently through the blanket.

“It will be alright Sombra. Thou will recover...”

The carriage sped on through the night, carrying its royal cargo.

Three days later...

When Sombra drifted awake- well, awake and finally fever free, he didn’t recognise his surroundings.

There was a soft beeping nearby.

The room was warm.

He lifted his head, feeling his body ache in protest.

He felt drained, and it took immense effort to sit up. A throbbing pain in his chest made him look down and he seen heavy bandaging wrapped across his right shoulder and chest. Hazy memory told him he'd been stabbed, was that real?

The heart monitor began to pick up speed as the one it watched over began to subtly panic, although Sombra didn’t notice it. Where was he?

A glance around made it clear he was in hospital, but he couldn't see anything out the window. What hospital was this?!

He began to panic as more shards of memory reformed. The village, those raiders. The Zebra family-? He began to hyperventilate, what had happened?!

The beeping became more insistent and high pitched and his wings fluffed up anxiously, going mid-pomf as the door was flung open.

Drawn by the alarm, a doctor and nurse ran in, surprised to see the patient awake. And suffering a panic attack by the looks of it. The nurse checked the IV bag while the doctor slowly approached the Alicorn. He was willing to bet a blow from one of those wings would knock him on his ass in no time.

"Your Majesty, please relax.." he said gently. Sombra whipped his head round, staring at him for a second before speaking.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in the Crystal Empire Memorial Hospital, in the intensive care ward. You were brought in with significant blood loss, courtesy of a serious stab wound-"

"The villagers-?" Sombra blurted, taking this in, but his thoughts were disjointed and he couldn’t get a proper grasp right then "where are they-?"

“There’s nopony else with you sire! Princess Luna brought you here in the dead of night, and refused to leave until you were stable. Nurse, could you fetch our other visitor?"

The nurse nodded and scurried away. The King didn’t seem to notice, he seemed fixated on whatever troubled him.

"I was in a village, you have to tell me what happened to them!"

"Sire, I don't KNOW. I’ve been monitoring your condition since your arrival, and the moon Princess didn’t say anything to us. However, she may have said something to her-"

“Sombra?" a familiar voice interrupted. Both ponies looked over as the nurse guided a familiar pony to the bed.

"Celestia-?" Sombra blinked at her.

Celestia nodded reassuringly, setting a gentle hoof on his back.

"It's alright Sombra, you're going to be fine."

"W-what happened...?"

"You were stabbed by somepony, Luna didn't say who. She was drawn to the place you were in by a dream, and brought you back here as fast as she could. You were very sick, but the doctors were able to use advanced healing magic to shore up your body's own ability to heal. It helped them greatly that you were in your regular pony form." she indicated his flesh and fur state.

Sombra nodded. Looked like it'd saved him. His crystal form was a bit of an anomaly, and couldn’t be treated quite the same as a normal pony body.

"Luna said she was going back to the village soon as she seen you were stable. I gave her a scroll so we could stay in contact, and I will tell her you are awake and lucid. She will be very relieved, as am I." she smiled happily, and Sombra managed to return it.

"She left me some messages too." The Princess unrolled the scroll she had tucked under her wing.

"Tell Sombra the village hath accepted his proposal. The pony named "Girder" must be notified forthwith that he will be gaining extra ponies."

Sombra looked ready to collapse in relief when he heard this.

"They accepted- oh thank you AND your sister!" he sighed shakily "I thought that Mayor would never hear me out..."

"Would he not listen?" Celestia asked, perplexed. Sombra winced, smiling wryly.

"He...hates me, to put it lightly. He is convinced I am a liar, a monster, many things. I don’t know what Ms Trek must have said to convince him. Probably threatened to shove his head up his-"

Celestia uttered a loud snort of amusement and Sombra coughed.

"Sorry, pardon my language. But those were her words to him on many occasions. She was upset he would not listen to me."

"I'm sure we can find a way, I know Luna will happily back you up if she has not already. So don’t fret, we'll sort this out. It sounds like you truly wish to help them. Is their home in danger?"

"Very much so." Sombra nodded. As they talked, the doctor bustled around his patient, checking his breathing, and making notes.

Sombra spoke of the storms and Celestia listened intently. He told her about the Zebras too.

“Could you ask Luna to give Corona a message? He needs to travel with Fern, Aeris and Timber out to the cave, help them start packing!” Sombra panicked, realising the Zebras had further to travel and needed to start moving now!

“Of course,” Celestia assured him “I’m sure they'll be alright.”

“Thank goodness, those storms are destroying their lives too, they don’t have much.”

"I see your concerns, and I think there may be details about this in the library. Some areas of Equestria suffer what are known as "Cycle storms." They follow a ten up to one hundred year cycle depending on variables. Nothing Cloudsdale has tried has moved them from this path. I will have my staff locate everything they can."

"Thank you," Sombra smiled "There is something else I would like your help with."

He detailed the memories he could sense at the back of his mind, stating that he KNEW they weren’t his. Celestia nodded, realising he wanted a spell to help free them. The doctor said Sombra's condition was good, but he couldn’t risk using so much magic.

So Celestia suggested he transfer the memories to HER, and she'd look into them personally. The spell took a lot less from the already weak King and when Celestia left, she carried the memories with her and a promise to update Luna on the situation.

Later that day, after Sombra had had some food, he was informed he had a trio of visitors. He asked they be shown in, and smiled as he recognised them.

It was Cadance, Shining Armor and of course, Discord.

"No flying bear hugs!" the Draconequus put his hands up "the doctor wouldn’t let me in until I promised."

Sombra chuckled softly, nodding. The royal couple sat on one side, Discord on the other.

"We were surprised when we got news you'd been admitted here, and with a serious case of blood loss! What on Equestria happened?" Cadance asked.

Sombra told the story as he recalled it, and all eyes were on stalks by its finale.

"Raiders? Sweet Celestia!" Shining Armor shivered.

"So who do I need to beat up in return for this..?" Discord indicated his friends injured state. Sombra smiled gently at him, shaking his head. The Draconequus pre-emptively pouted.

"They will be dealt with once they are brought here." Sombra assured him.

"Aww, fine." Discord grumbled, settling for scratching behind Sombra's left ear. This made Sombra's expression brighten a little...

They stayed and chatted with him awhile, but Sombra soon grew tired, so the Prince and Princess said they’d see him again tomorrow. That left him and Discord alone for a little longer.

"Seriously, do I at LEAST get to scare them a bit? They could have killed you!" Discord said angrily, as he took in how pale and exhausted Sombra looked. "It scared the buck outta me when Celestia came to tell the Prince and Princess. Your Umbrum's are worried silly..."

"Please, tell them I’ll be alright, I don’t want them to worry. I-I’m feeling much better!" Sombra pleaded.

“Of course, of course...” Discord chuckled, then scratched under the pony’s chin this time, making him sigh happily. Pony pressure points were fun~

"Don't worry yourself, you just relax." he set his hand back on the bed. Sombra smiled softly, he looked relieved.

"Now get some sleep." Discord prodded the pony's nose, and the Alicorn nodded.

He fell asleep quickly, still very weakened, and drifted into an easy sleep.

While Sombra was en route to the hospital, things were unfurling at the town also..

With the news broken the next morning that Sombra had been evac'd to hospital by Luna, Corona had a job to do. Starting with those raider bandits.

Luna said she'd instruct Celestia to send a platoon of guards with suitable transport from the Crystal Empire. They be held in the dungeons until they could be dealt with.

“That’s a load off!” Corona thanked the Princess gratefully.

“Can thou manage your Kings affairs?” Luna asked “or can we help thee?”

“I’m going to start by talking to the Mayor, and you know that’s gonna be fun.” Corona sighed. Catching the sarcasm, Luna titled her head to one side.

“Why does this talk bother thee?” she asked. Corona filled her in on the Mayor's stubborn attitude towards Sombra, and this didn't sit well with the moon Princess.

“Then we shall drum some sense into him! He will have to listen to both of us!” she declared, stomping off in search of Overwatch, an amused Corona in pursuit. He liked Luna, she was a no nonsense mare with a no-holes-barred attitude when she got going!

Overwatch got a fright when he heard Luna’s loud booming voice from the stairway, bellowing for his attention. He scurried up to her, bowing hastily.

“Yes, Princess?” he squeaked.

“We desire to have a talk with thee about the proposal Sombra had for this town. Where can we host it?”

“M-my office, it's cleaned up.” Overwatch coughed, and led the way back to the office Sombra had been sleeping in just a short while ago.

Inside, with the fire lit and the doors closed, Luna fixed Overwatch with a stern look.

“We are informed thou refused to listen to Sombra when he arrived here.” she began, sounding cross “pray tell, why is that? Did you not read the papers? Even if thou dost not HAVE the illustrated pages, thou surely should be open to an offer of help?!”

Corona nodded as the Princess finished, looking expectantly at Overwatch, who looked frankly terrified. He was stuck, what could he say to that?

“I-”

“Answer us truthfully!” Luna added sharply and he nodded, trying again.

“You don’t understand, he..” he struggled to justify his initial hatred of the King “He hasn’t exactly got a good reputation. Who knows what he would've demanded in return for his help? He's a dark magic pony, that stuff is only fit for the corrupt and deranged-”

“Our SISTER is able to use dark magic, do you dare insult her too?!” Luna bellowed. She was leaning forward in her chair, eyes narrowed, her face shoved as close to Overwatch's as possible! He back-peddled, verbally speaking, as fast as he could.

“No, Princess Luna, of course not! I'd never- Princess Celestia is a good, kind pony-!”

“As too is King Sombra!” Corona barked, “My unit and I were assigned to him by King Vorak as a sign of gratitude for what his majesty has done for our kingdom! He forgave the disgraced Prince's crimes against him, even though those crimes included torture and mental abuse!”

Overwatch gulped nervously.

“Torture?” he asked.

Corona nodded “it was bad, I read the reports from King Vorak. He was kept prisoner, brutally attacked and very nearly broken by Scorpan. That he was able to get back on his hooves at all, let alone FORGIVE the King and Queen on Scorpan's behalf...” he gave a harrumph, unable to find the words. Luna picked up straight away, casting the Gargoyle a nod of assurance.

“It takes courage! Our sister told us of his generosity in forgiving such crimes. No MONSTER, as you consider him, would be so kind! Sombra's madness is long gone, caused partly by factors outside of his control long ago. The Empire bears no grudge, they even forgave him and encouraged him to take the role he was prophecised to fill, the King of Umbrum's!”

Overwatch wanted to shrink down in his chair and disappear. Luna’s fervour and Corona's loyalty were clear. He'd made a big mistake in jumping the gun...

“He wants to re-home all of the ponies here!” Corona pointed out “You said it yourself, this place cant take much more and if those storms really do get worse, you simply cannot remain!”

“Judge Sombra by the action he has taken to protect thyself and thy ponies!” Luna stated “has he tried to harm you?”

“No..” Overwatch spoke at last.

“Has he done anything since arriving, besides save your ass?” Corona demanded. Overwatch shook his head.

“I realise I jumped the shark-”

“Shark? Thou went leaping over an entire aquarium.” Luna grumbled. Corona snorted, and tried not to laugh.

Overwatch nodded, he'd earned such ire. He sighed heavily..

“It was hard to trust a pony with such a past, the papers mentioned little about torture, all they spoke of was his species and the work to free them! Some speculated they wanted more proof of his turnaround, and I couldn't help agree with them. His name has always harked back to days of fear and darkness.”

“He tried to explain to you when we arrived.” Corona pointed out, and Overwatch nodded.

“Seeing him up close, how powerful and big he was, I was afraid. I thought if I could make him leave because he felt unwelcome, we wouldn’t have to bargain with him. That he came bearing quite so many supplies, I was suspicious. What would he want in return?”

“His majesty made the proposal to Ms Trek back when he first rescued her group.” Corona explained “they were overjoyed as I understand it. He came on this trip of his own will, asking Ms Trek if he could see this place and meet you all. He wanted to make his offer face to face, even if it would be difficult.”

“I see..” Overwatch sighed heavily “he seen right through me, didn’t he?”

“I’ve seen windows less transparent,” Corona shot back “of course his majesty realised what was going on! That’s why he made no move to approach anypony, to lessen any potential outbursts.”

“Damn, he’s smarter than I ever guessed,” Overwatch rubbed his forehead with one hoof “he knew all along.”

The room was silent as he processed everything. Luna and Corona exchanged looks, was it getting through?

“This town is a wreck, it has more ghosts then residents. As much as it pains me to lose it, Trek has a point. We must move on.” he nodded to himself and looked up. “I will talk it over with everypony, but I doubt they will turn it down.”

“Good.” Corona nodded, relieved. Sombra would be pleased to hear this…

Trek near fainted with relief when Overwatch gathered everypony to announce Sombra's offer. Unanimously, the towns ponies accepted the offer.

“Its not going to be easy, things will be pretty cramped for awhile, but if there’s anypony willing to lend a hand, I know his majesty and Girder would be grateful.” Corona explained to the crowd.

They nodded and talked amongst themselves, but they knew it was a fair request in return for offering help.

“U-uhm...” Corona paused and looked down at the littlest Zebra as she tugged at his tail.

“Can I say something?” she asked shyly. Corona nodded, holding her in his arms so shed be at the right height to speak into the mic the Mayor had set up.

“Hi….I’m Fern. I'm here with mommy and daddy. They’re sleeping right now, so I’m gonna tell you for them.”

She took a deep breath, her nerves jangling, but she thought about Sombra's bravery and forged ahead.

“Mr Sombra found me out in the storm,” she began “he walked all the way home with me, and I brought him to see our home. You see...I...”

She began to tear up as she confessed to being the one stealing the blankets. This sent a wave of surprised and shocked murmurs rippling around the gathering.

“I just wanted my baby brother to be happy! He’s only a few months old, and momma gives him as much as she can. But our food supplies are dwindling, so it's affecting him too! We came here before, but you turned us away. That’s why I was so angry that I took those things. We never hurt anypony, but you thought we were bad-” she broke off, crying brokenly. Corona balanced her in one arm so he could pat her head. She burrowed into the floofy fur of his chest and cried.

Trek sniffled, hating to see a child cry. She glared at Overwatch, who approached Corona nervously.

“Kid-” he began.

“Her name's Fern.” Corona said sharply, and Overwatch nodded. She deserved respect after all, she'd helped free them all.

“Fern,” he said, and at last she turned her head to look at him. “I think I recognise your parents, the jewellery your mother wears, it's familiar.”

“She's head of our clan, that's what the jewellery means. Like how your military has ranks, so does our society.”

All this was audible thanks to the mic, the gathered ponies were curious and a little ashamed of how they'd responded last time..

“Tell us about your brother.” Overwatch said at last. Fern nodded, looking at the crowd of ponies. Her expression warmed as she thought about her little sibling.

"My baby brother Ori, he's the cutest little guy and he always wants a hug when he sees me. You didn’t want to help us before and I was angry. Mr Sombra caught me sneaking into the shed, but then he got us away from the guards and asked who I was and why I was breaking in. He listened, said he felt bad for us. That was when he took me home, said he couldn’t let me go alone. He said he wants to help us, give us a new home!"

She looked up, her eyes bright again "can you believe it?"

Overwatch's guilt got even heavier. "Yes I can, little miss." he sighed heavily "His intent is to help us too. Trek tried to tell me, but I ignored her. I'm sorry Trek, you always did have smarts.”

He cast a glance at Trek, who looked surprised at his honesty AND his apology. Had Sombra's sacrifice gotten through to him? She hoped the King was doing alright...

“He said he wanted to help you guys, that he did everything he could, but you wouldn’t listen because he used to be a bad guy.” Fern pointed out, the words blunt as could be as she looked at the Mayor. He flinched, but gave a nod.

"He's been saving our asses all this time," Overwatch sighed and Fern giggled at the word "ass".

The Mayor smiled dryly before continuing "And I’ve been too busy grandstanding and telling him a creature like him doesn’t belong here. He brought supplies, didn’t rise to any challenge I raised. That pony was smarter then I was, he seen right through me from the get go. Trek said a lot, and I listened to none of it."

He wondered how could Sombra ever forgive him now? When it'd first been raised that the King was missing, everypony had panicked. Corona especially. Trek had wondered if he'd simply gotten sick of Overwatch's abuse and left? The Crystal Empire guard had said his majesty wouldn’t just up and desert them like that. Whatever Overwatch might think of him, he wasn’t a coward!

But it made sense now, Sombra had been travelling to the Zebra's home while they’d all been sleeping.

“I'm sorry Fern,” he sighed heavily, the words a long rusty and forgotten habit “both you three and the big fellah deserve our thanks for saving us. That stallion has more compassion than I’ve ever claimed to show, and I hope you can accept an old fool's apology.”

Fern was silent a moment, then she nodded.

“Okay.” she said “I will. But I’ll have to speak to mommy and daddy.”

Overwatch nodded, he felt grateful to the pint sized filly. She seemed far older then her young years somehow...

“Maybe we can help gather your fellow Zebras and help them pack up?” Corona suggested to Fern, who nodded eagerly and the Gargoyle said he'd have a chat with her mother and father.

“Yay! Thank you!” she cried happily, throwing her little forelegs around his chest in as big a hug as she could muster. Corona chuckled and ruffled her mane.

Overwatch sighed silently, and told the towns-ponies they needed to start packing asap. The crowd dispersed, but quite a few came over to see Fern, and offer their apologies for how superstitious they’d acted before.

Overwatch returned to his office, and slumped behind his desk. He sighed, feeling twice his already advancing years. The clock ticked, filling the heavy silence, while voices murmured below, sounding excited and happy. Overwatch sighed, resting his head on his desk.

“This is all my fault. If I’d realised what a mistake I was making-”

“Ah the power of hindsight.” a voice drawled from the doorway. Overwatch sat bolt upright with a yelp, but relaxed when he seen Corona.

“You've been fidgeting and sending me nervous looks the whole day. I take it you want to speak to me?” the Gargoyle raised an eyebrow. Overwatch nodded.

"You want to ask about his highness, don’t you?" Corona asked. Another bullseye observation.

"What lead to your serving a pony?” Overwatch blurted, the first thought plucked from a myriad of questions he had.

Corona sat down and told him the whole tale of Sombra's acts of kindness to King Vorak and Queen Haydon. And how Vorak had asked the army who amongst them would serve an ally of their kingdom?

“His highness King Vorak spoke with me at length. I was impressed by King Sombra's capability both to forgive, and to keep going. What he endured was beyond horrific, but he has refused to let it slow him down. Had he put in the effort, I am sure the disgraced Prince Scorpan could have become a good being again, had HE shown such strength. As it was, the kingdom suffers his loss, even more so his family.”

“Explains how he could be so patient, while I was trying to scare him off. He's long since come to term with it all, hasn't he?”

Corona nodded “to the best of my knowledge, yes. But I heard from my fellow guard, the Crystal Empire pony, that it wasn't an easy path.”

He spoke of how Sombra had reportedly refused to accept he was an Alicorn OR a King. That Sombra had refused to use his wings and there were rumours he'd tried to remove them at one point.

Overwatch went white at this, wincing as he recalled something he'd said earlier.

Corona raised an eyebrow, asking what the matter was? Overwatch admitted saying “somepony should clip them” in regard to Sombra having wings, while they all sheltered from the onset of the storm.

"I didn't know he was that self-conscious about them-" he babbled. "he didn’t act like it!"

"He's not uncertain of them NOW." the Gargoyle raised an eyebrow, keeping his expression neutral somehow "but there's a lot more to his background than you read in the papers."

“I don’t doubt that.” Overwatch sighed.

“Wait here a moment.” The Gargoyle said, seeing somepony else was needed here.

He got up and fetched the Crystal pony guard. When said guard realised Overwatch wanted to hear the Crystal Empire's side, he was more than willing to talk about it.

"When we first found out he was awake again, yes, we were all pretty upset. We thought he was still as crazy as he'd been in the past, that he was mad as a box of frogs! But we were wrong. Princess Cadance spoke publicly about his actions in Canterlot. How Sombra saved both her and her husband, and stopped a second Crystal/Umbrum war before it began again, by calming the rage of the trapped Umbrum ponies.

By the prophecy his majesty was born to bear, he was to be their King by default. But I seen him refuse it, telling them they could choose whomever they wanted. Later on, we found out he'd told them the truth about his actions in the Crystal Empire, how much he regretted it. And they chose him, saying they wanted no other to rule. They call him Infinitum, the ultimate crystal ruler."

Overwatch nodded, realising it must be this species term for an Alicorn. The guard spotted this and nodded.

"That’s why he has an Alicorn's form. The very first Umbrum leaders were Infinitum ponies. But his highness would not accept the crown at first and it was not until one of the Umbrum's told us all at the stadium, how his majesty felt it unfair he rule again, that we realised WE could help. He sacrificed the last of his magic during the Canterlot fight to request the Prince and Princess bring his apology to us.

We seen for ourselves how hard he was trying, even when it scared him. We forgave him that day and when the request came for any volunteers for the project, many of us, guard and citizen, volunteered to work alongside him. He has strived near constantly to help get this new home built and saved us from a dangerous magic threat known as a wraith."

"Wraith-? Those are real?" Overwatch blurted. "I thought they were just an old mares tale!"

"Real as you or I, and quite an unnerving sight. Caused a lot of strife too, when it nearly killed a worker and his majesty."

Overwatch was curious about this Wraith business. He'd grown up hearing those stories after all. Like the Windigoes that had nearly destroyed Equestria's newly formed colony in the legends. The guard continued, back on topic.

"I’ve seen the change in his majesty. He's relaxed, smiled and started to interact with us all at the site. It is as much an exchange for us as it is for HIM. He's learning to care for many Ponies, Gargoyles and Centaurs, and we're learning who he really is. Not the myth, or the entry in the history books, but the real him.”

“He can also swear a mean blue streak!” Corona smirked.

Overwatch chuckled at the mental image of a sweary monarch, but also realised it had to have been hard for Sombra. He'd clearly made peace with the kingdom he'd once enslaved, and had been making friends from all over Equestria. Suddenly being torn down by Overwatch's verbal abuse and distrust must have shook him up. Yet he hadn’t given up, hadn’t stood down, even though he had to have guessed there was a risk Overwatch would never trust him.

He'd misread every single signal being broadcast. Sombra hadn’t been trying to take over, or assert any form of control over the settlement.

“I missed the point of what he was saying, didn’t I?”

“By a margin as wide as the moon.” Corona said, and the Crystal pony gave him a look.

“Sorry,” Corona sighed “King Vorak always permitted me to speak my mind, I guess it's a deeply ingrained habit.”

“A refreshing one, I will admit.” Overwatch conceded “Celestia knows I needed a reality check. Incurring the wrath of Princess Luna earlier was frightening enough, I can happily confess!”

Corona chuckled at the memory “I admire her strength of character, she's got guts. Reminds me of King Vorak.”

They spent awhile longer discussing Sombra with the repentant Mayor. When their Q & A came to and end, Overwatch asked the two if they thought Sombra could ever forgive him?

“That’s a question you’ll need to ask his majesty. But knowing him, he'll give one where it's due.” Corona said with a faint smile. The Empire guard nodded. Overwatch thanked them both and let them go...

Two days later, Luna received a message from her sister. She tracked Corona down and showed it to him.

“I see, so his majesty needs me to go check on the Zebras? Great minds think alike it would seem, I already proposed it to little Fern, and she in turn told her parents. We set off as soon as Fern and her family are ready.”

He spoke with the trio of Zebra's, and they agreed to go later that day, to help pack up their whole society and bring it HERE.

“Mind if we come too?” all looked over at the Princess standing in the doorway.

“We can help with our magic!” Luna added.

“We have carts at the cave, back from when we originally fled there.” Timber added “it wont take long to pack, and we'd appreciate any help, Princess!”

Luna nodded, smiling happily.

And so they set off that afternoon. They arrived a lot quicker then Sombra had originally, with the storm having died down at last to a manageable level.

The Zebra's were relieved to see their chief back again and excited to have not just a gargoyle visiting, but a princess as well!

Aeris gave the Zebra's the news, that they had to hurry, the portal would be opening soon! They nodded calmly, it seemed they’d already been preparing since Sombra's announcement of his promise to help them. It'd been a mass “yes” vote it seemed.

“We commend thy foresight!” Luna said, impressed “shall we begin?”

All in all, it took the entire day to get everything packed into the Zebra's covered carts. Luna helped pack the more delicate talismans and artefacts with her magic, wrapping them in blue silk and packing them into boxes.

Corona was surprised that ALL the Zebras wanted to move at once, but it made sense, the cave was a lonely palace to wait in. They had tents and other portable habitats if there wasn’t enough room.

They got back to the town in record time, with Luna lighting the way through the dawn. The Zebra's had gathered outside to watch her lower the moon, and had found it stunning beyond anything they’d ever witnessed!

After greeting them, the Mayor offered the expansive town hall and any available space. It was going to get pretty crowded for awhile…

The towns-ponies, having already learnt a little about Zebras from Fern, were intrigued to meet the rest! The little Zebra filly had already won their hearts and allayed any lingering superstitions, so the Zebras received a very warm welcome.

Back in the Empire, Sombra was recovering well. With his magic restored, he was able to shift to his crystal form and begin healing himself. The unicorn doctors were happy to donate some of their magic, which helped speed the process up greatly, over the course of a days intensive healing.

When Celestia dropped by with information about the storms and news from Luna, he was almost back to his usual self, stating that he needed fresh air, he was bored!

So Sombra and Celestia took a nice long walk around the hospital grounds, just the two of them, where Celestia filled him in on the contents of the memories she'd offloaded from him via that spell.

“They were from that artefact that you spoke of, the one you left protecting the town. I'm afraid I bear bad news in that its not going to hold out for much longer. It's weakening rapidly.”

“Blast!” Sombra sighed. “I should've seen it-”

“Do not blame yourself,” Celestia shook her head “there is little you could have done. As it is, you protected them long enough for the current storm to fade. But it will not be long before it strikes again. The final memories that stone held showed me some very worrying scenes. By the time of the last vision, the storms were near ceaseless. Everypony had long gone by then, unable to live there. From what you have told me, together with the information in the library, they're facing another one in less than a few weeks.”

Sombra went pale “no, it is not enough time-!”

“Relax,” Celestia soothed him, gently patting his back with her hoof as they came to a halt by a fountain “I can gather some soldiers to journey out there and assist you.”

“But wont it take a significant amount of time to get them all out there? Bearing in mind the Zebra's too?” Sombra asked. Celestia smiled knowingly.

“Well, if YOU can recall the magic you linked to in that stone, then we have a mutual friend who can open a direct path. You will need to bring the Zebra's to the town so they can use the same portal. But you won't be alone~”

“You mean-?” Sombra instantly twigged why she was smiling. Sure enough, a certain Draconequus appeared in a poof of smoke and a loud fanfare.

“Ta-daaahhh! That’s my cue~” he declared grandly. Then he looked over at Celestia, grinning eagerly “he healed enough?”

“The doctor has said so, yes.” Celestia's eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Enough for what-ooph!” Sombra cut off as he was swept up and bear hugged, and he laughed happily. Discord set him down with a grin, scratching behind his ear.

“Been waiting days to do that!” Discord huffed, then grinned “so whatcha say? If you can supply the direction, I'll provide the flight over!”

“No problem at all.” Sombra smiled gratefully at his closest friend “Thank you.”

Discord pretended to shrug it off, but Celestia seen the genuine pride in his expression as he accepted the stallion's praise. Discord, although he refused to admit it, had become the de facto caretaker of the Umbrum in the King's absence. He spent many a day down there with them, and Umbra was very fond of him.

The three of them spent a little while longer planning out when and what they’d bring, deciding to go tomorrow to ensure Sombra's full health.

Sombra curled up in bed that night feeling much happier, and hoping round two of convincing Overwatch would go better than last time!

He was guided down to the entrance to the hospital where a carriage awaited. This drove him directly to the Crystal Palace, where he was met by two Princesses and a Prince. They made sure he was fed properly and outlined the plan to him re: troops being sent alongside him, and he was reminded how lucky he was he had such generous friends. He thanked them all, feeling words were inadequate for how grateful he was that they could spare so much!

Celestia asked about the feather filly, so Sombra told of how the little miss had been over the moon to get so many stunning feathers, and some from Princesses no less.

After that was a trip to the Umbrum's...

Naturally Discord was already there, and he pounced on Sombra and bear hugged him again, which made the Umbrum's giggle happily. They swarmed around their Infinitum, asking if he was alright?

Sombra nodded, he was all healed up, and the only evidence of what’d happened was a faint scar. It was faintly noticeable in his Umbrum form, and looked like a bolt of lightning in his illusion form. The doctors had explained that the reason it scarred was that the object used to stab him had been carrying some nasty germs, and he'd endured a high fever and infection in the first few nights.

Sombra promised he was working on getting them over to the site, but with the influx of new ponies, Zebras, and the emergency, it meant they were somewhat pushed for space. The Umbrum looked a bit down, but Sombra promised he'd take a place on the crew assigned to building the site and work as hard as he could.

“I am deeply sorry to force you to wait,” Sombra said, guilt shadowing his eyes “such an influx I had not foreseen-”

“Please don't fret your majesty.” The Umbrum in charge franticly assured him “we know you're doing what’s best. Those ponies are as stuck as we once were, we don’t begrudge them your kindness.”

“Thank you,” Sombra said gratefully, feeling his chest ache fade a little.

The Umbrum weren’t worried, they knew their King would keep his promise!

Sombra bid them farewell, and last but not least, went to have a nice catch up with his mother. She was delighted to hear how things were going, and told him how proud she was.

“Giving a home to so many ponies is a generous thing to do child,” she smiled lovingly “I'm sure they will love their new home as much as you do.”

“I hope so. I know it is hard for them, losing their home.” Sombra nodded “It was knowing of the Umbrum's plight that spurred me to offer them the chance we did not have.”

Umbra nodded in understanding “home dying, food dwindling. It's exactly like the story we told. But they have you, and I know you'll help put them at ease.”

Sombra was relieved to hear her say that. He was a little nervous about trying to help so many ponies at once, but as he'd been told many times, he had to have faith. Both in them and in himself.

They shared one last hug before Sombra left to meet Celestia over at the training grounds. She'd gathered a mix of guards from Canterlot's army, and they all bowed respectfully to the recovered King. Celestia let Sombra explain what’d happened from his experience, and what was most urgent.

“We have to try and move them as fast as possible. If Celestia's predictions are correct, we don’t have long. I'm worried enough time has been lost while I was in hospital. That’s why I asked Celestia to round up all these flat pack box things. They will be loathe to leave without their possessions, or the most valuable ones at least. Given the terror that the raid must have brought, I do not blame them for feeling this way in the least. Also the Zebra's and their crops, supplies and personal effects.”

The guard nodded, casting glances at the stack of boxes off to the side. Besides the boxes were seven carts, big enough to carry a fairly hefty weight each.

“Ready when you are sire!” the head of the platoon saluted once the King finished. Sombra nodded. With a poof of impeccable timing, Discord appeared beside his friend, flicking his ear idly.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Sombra nodded.

Discord aimed a hand at the open expanse of ground, and a massive portal tore the air. It shimmered, but there didn’t seem to be anything on the other side.

“Your turn!” the Draconequus nodded to the Alicorn, who took up position in front of the portal, but a safe enough distance back that magic rebound wouldn’t hit him. He closed his eyes, dredging up his memory of the artefact. Magic began to build around his horn.

Then the Alicorn suddenly froze up, panic showing slightly.

“What is it?” Discord asked.

“The power, it's not strong enough to open the link-”

Concerned murmurs ran through the ranks of soldiers.

“Can you fix it?” Discord asked. Sombra thought it through, then nodded.

“I will need you all to step back, it requires a bit of room.”

The guards all promptly stepped back, wondering what his majesty had in store?

Sombra flew up, closing his eyes. What looked like magical calculations appeared in the air around him, in a spherical bubble. Bits and pieces were rewritten, moved around, then without warning the Alicorn lowered his head and fired a concentrated beam of purple, bubbling magic at the portal.

It struck with a thunderclap that made them all jump, and it looked as if the portal was absorbing the dark magic. Details began to waver into view, rapidly filling in as Sombra supplies his memories. They seen the fountain, and above it the artefact, hovering sluggishly.

With a loud POP the vision finalised and Sombra flew back.

He touched down and the guard could see his sides were heaving slightly, he’d obviously exerted a lot of energy in doing whatever he'd done. But it'd worked, the portal seemed stable, ready to go.

“You alright?” Discord set a hand on his friends back, frowning at the cold sweat dusting his coat. Sombra nodded, getting his breath back.

“I am fine,” he smiled “all I was doing was rewriting the spell so it would depend more on my magic for stability then linking to the artefact.”

“Smart arse.” Discord dead panned, patting his mane and earning a mock-glower.

“Is it ready, sire?” the head guard asked. Sombra nodded.

“Alright, lets go!” the leader barked. Sombra and Discord said farewell to their friends as the guard began filing in in pairs, some pulling the carts piled high with empty boxes.

Discord ushered Sombra through then the portal closed behind them. As before, they walked down a corridor filled with all manner of oddities. Sombra chuckled at the balloon moose, what an odd creature!

“We're here!” the head guard announced.

“Just go on through, we'll pop out where Sombra opened the portal.” Discord called back.

They heard the lead guard ordering the others through in formation, then it was their turn…

The towns-ponies got a shock as a portal suddenly opened, and initially they panicked. Then they seen a whole troupe of royal guards come through, some pulling carts. The lead looked around for somepony to address and the nearest Deputy quickly stepped up.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Were the platoon designated to assist with transporting all of you to the building site.”

“How did you get here...what is that and who made it?!”

“It's a portal, sir. And as to whom, that would be them.” The guard nodded his head at the two that'd just stepped out into the snow.

A Draconequus and an Umbrum King stood side by side as the portal closed behind them. As an afterthought, Sombra had switched back to his illusion form mid-way over, so the towns-ponies wouldn’t be too startled. A whole bunch of guards showing up was probably enough!

“Sweet Celestia..” the deputy breathed. More and more ponies caught sight of the familiar flowing mane and raced over, so Sombra and Discord soon had a massive crowd around them.

Discord quickly seen what Sombra had alluded to. This place was being worn down by the brutal weather, the signs of stress visible on the houses and on the faces of the ponies gathering around them. He was getting a lot of curious looks, and he couldn’t blame them for staring. He was a known troublemaker afterall...

“Cool!” Discord felt a hoof tap his leg and looked down, seeing a Zebra filly staring up at him with wide eyes and a big grin.

“You’re even taller then you looked in Sombra's memories!” she declared. Sombra smiled.

“Hello Fern.” he said warmly.

“So you're she, Sombra talked about you!” Discord grinned at the filly. She grinned back.

“Are you OK now?” she asked, looking to Sombra now.

Sombra nodded “back to normal, nothing to worry about.”

Many a pony in the crowd sighed in relief. They'd been worried sick by what'd happened. Seeing Sombra awake and back on his hooves was a load off their backs.

Overwatch was up in his office when the sound of the crowd reached him through the open doors of his office. It looked out on the rear of the town hall, so he couldn't see who or what was causing such a ruckus. Sighing, he strode down the stairs, wandering outside and over to the crowd.

“Move aside,” he grunted “what is going on out here?”

Sombra heard the familiar voice and strode over. It was so, that just as Overwatch cleared the crowd, Sombra came to a halt less then a few feet away.

Overwatch looked up, seeing a familiar face that he'd last seen saving him from being attacked by a raider. The Alicorn looked back to health and bar a slight scar where the spear had stabbed him, seemed unaffected.

His mouth went dry, and all words abandoned him. What was he to say?

“It took longer then expected for the doctor to clear me to leave,” Sombra said to break the silence “but Celestia was able to help me gather up some help.” he stepped aside, indicating the guard with a flourish of one wing.

Overwatch stared even more. That was a LOT of guards.

Sombra heard wings beating, and turned back in time for Corona and the Crystal Empire guard to touch down in the snow before him.

“Your Majesty.” they intoned, bowing to their ruler. Sombra thanked them both, glad to see them again.

“It's a relief to see you well, sire.” Corona said firstly, and the pony guard nodded in agreement.

“I am sorry if I worried you,” Sombra smiled softly “I did not expect such a situation to arise. Tell me, is everything okay?””

Corona filled him in quickly, and Sombra was glad to hear everypony was OK and coping.

He asked his two guards to have a talk with the Canterlot guards about the transport situation. Corona and the Empire guard nodded, repeating how happy they were to see the King up and well again, then they promptly trotted away.

Sombra turned to the still silent Overwatch.

“Is there a place where we might talk in private?” The Alicorn asked.

Overwatch nodded mutely, leading the King back inside. He was panicking like a mad pony. What was he going to do, or SAY?!

Sombra followed him into the room, hoping he’d be able to sway Overwatch's opinion of him this time. The older pony was being oddly silent, Sombra had expected an outburst of some kind…

So he decided to try broach the subject.

“I am sorry for the delay in my return, I had some difficulty in healing myself at the speed I usually do. I hope now you will listen to me, I only want to help-”

“Your highness!” the older stallion suddenly blurted, unable to keep it in any longer.

“Y...yes?” Sombra blinked, puzzled and slightly worried. Why did he sound about to heave?

He was about to start worrying again, when Overwatch not only came round the desk to face him, but bowed.

“Please hear me out,” he begged. “After you were attacked by that brute, your Gargoyle guard and Princess Luna came to speak to me. They were both understandably upset at my treatment of you. They both spoke about you so kindly, and the Crystal Empire pony gave me his side. I was informed at no details spared, about what you did for the empire and for Canterlot.”

“You don’t need to-” Sombra tried to say he didn’t need to be so formal, he wasn’t exactly the one in charge here- but the pony shook his head, still talking to the carpet.

“I was wrong. You’ve been trying to help us all this time, but I’ve been too blind to see it. Its pathetic in comparison, but I offer my sincerest apology your majesty!”

Overwatch held his breath once he finished talking, anxiously awaiting Sombra's judgement.

He was surprised when a hoof gently came to rest on his shoulder and in a subtle movement, guided him to stand.

“You don’t have to worry.” Sombra said firmly “I didn’t ask to speak to you in order to get angry. I can understand if you felt threatened by my arrival, I have quite a lot of shadows from my past that may make others uneasy.”

But even as he spoke, he couldn’t help feel a little jab at the reminder of that feeling. Overwatch glanced up, and caught a rare moment of vulnerability in the King's expression. He was glancing away to one side, the look on his face a mix of emotions. But if Overwatch had to guess, he'd pin it as sadness and unease.

Sombra must have noticed he was being stared at, because he flushed ever so slightly then cleared his throat, his expression closing off to be replaced by a false benign smile.

“I will have Captain Corona bring the head guard up here-” He turned to go, but was cut off at the door by the Mayor, who’d sprinted like an athlete to get between him and his attempted exit. Sombra blinked, looking perplexed. Overwatch took a deep breath and spoke;

“Please don’t leave, your majesty. I’m truly sorry about how I spoke to you, and you have every right to feel uneasy. I didn’t find out until later on how much your ”change” to an Alicorn affected you. Your guards mentioned it...”

Sombra sighed, but nodded. He could understand why they'd done it, they were defending his honour, an act he greatly appreciated.

“It is true,” he felt his wings itch at the memory and shrugged them briefly to get the sensation to stop. “I was convinced it was a mistake, I thought the wings were just an accident. When I found out I had been created all along to someday become this, it was a shock...” The wings itched again, and Overwatch noticed him fidget.

“Are you alright?” he asked, genuinely worried. Sombra smiled weakly.

“These things, they are very sensitive. They seem to respond in a variety of ways, more so than an ordinary pegasus. My men have learnt not to walk up behind me, lest they wish a face full of feathers.”

“They flap when you’re startled?” Overwatch kinda wanted to chuckle at the mental image. He tried to suppress the laugh, but Sombra smiled too, more genuinely this time.

“My friend has described it as going “Pomf”.” As he spoke, he unfurled them to full size and Overwatch's eyebrows raised all the way up. That was a big wingspan alright!

“Goodness me, that’s impressive! I can see why you warned them, those things would knock you on your ass in an instant!”

He realised his language and coughed “sorry your majesty, my language is a bit-”

But Sombra just snorted softly, shaking his head.

“Fear not, I have become quite a connoisseur of the curse word. I work at a building site after all. Many of my fellow workers swear the way most would breathe, that is to say...”

“Often.” Overwatch did laugh this time. He looked at Sombra properly now, seeing the pony looking hopeful.

“If you can forgive an old, stubborn fool his wilful ignorance, I'd like to talk to you properly.”

Sombra nodded, folding his wings down and seating himself in front of the desk as Overwatch sat behind it.

“Captain Corona spoke about your plan to help us, and Trek gave me every last detail. I fully understand it’ll be a bit of a shock, all of us landing on you at once. But we don’t mind sharing homes while we help you work.”

“I am relieved to hear that, Mayor. But there is a matter I must discuss, regarding those storms. I have new information courtesy of Celestia.” Sombra recalled the details of the memories Celestia had recovered for him.

From his bag he withdrew the information she'd given about the storms.

“I regret to tell you this, but that artefact is not going to last much longer. Even linking to it so I could bring those guards, with Discords help, was tough. It is going to collapse soon, and the margin is only a matter of weeks. I am sorry, but we need to start moving you right away.”

Overwatch's heart sank, but he seemed to accept it. This was further backed up as he spoke;

“I feared as such, it has been getting worse and worse lately. We're grateful for the time that shield has protected us, it prevented a lot of damage and possible injury.” Overwatch sighed, shaking his head subtly.

“We have no shortage of willing helpers, it should only be a matter of days. The Canterlot guards, plus Discord, myself and MY guards? I think we will cope.”

Overwatch felt better at this, but one little thing popped up in his mind and he couldn’t help ask “after everything that’s gone on lately, I think I’m going spare. But is that really THE Discord from the history books? The chaos Lord?”

“The one and only!” a voice spoke up from RIGHT behind Sombra. The King yelped, and just like he'd described, the wings went POMF!

“Gbblhhh-!” Discord babbled, as he got a face full of feathers.

“Sorry.” Sombra sighed, peering round at his friend.

“I forgot about that.” Discord grasped the wings gently and folded them down, which made their bearer smile faintly. Overwatch noted this with curiosity. He knew a little about pegasi, and for one with wings to allow another to so casually handle them was a sign of strong trust.

“Sorry, I was just passing by from the bathroom!” Discord grinned at the two “I heard my name and I couldn’t resist!”

“Are the guards-?” Sombra began, and Discord nodded, pre-empting his friend.

“They’re discussing the luggage room with the ponies. They should be able to make multiple runs. I can open the portal to the site, that way you guys can come and go.”

“Excellent, that’s magnificent work!” Sombra looked so pleased, Discord couldn’t help feel a flush of pride. Much like whenever Fluttershy complimented anything he did...

“See ya!” He declared, vanishing off in a puff of smoke and his usual manic giggling. Sombra laughed, nopony could make him relax quite like Discord!

“He is your friend I see?” Overwatch asked. Sombra nodded, turning back to face him.

“He has been by my side since I was first recovered. He and I, we both share similar mistakes in our pasts. He understood how strange it was to wake up after a thousand year nap!”

“The world must seem strange, no?” Overwatch mused. Sombra nodded, but he smiled.

“It is, yet it also holds many advancements. The food alone is of much intrigue.”

On cue, his stomach gurgled. The King coughed, and chuckled sheepishly. Overwatch smiled;

“I can ask my men to make some food, if you fancy? I’m admittedly hankering for some food myself. We don’t have much, but it'd be my pleasure to cook some local delicacy’s.”

Sombra happily agreed, and the rest of their discussion took place over some delicious soup and bread.

With the guards help, the two soon organised a schedule to begin bringing the ponies first, and any additional baggage afterwards. The ponies could bring the obvious necessities first, but any non-urgent things could wait until the final runs.

Luna poked her head in, greeted Sombra happily (and loudly), then offered to round up the ponies to make the announcement!

Sombra also spoke with Fern and her parents. He was happy to see the Zebras had all made the trip so successfully!

Sombra called Discord in, and asked him to send a message to Celestia and the Crystal Empire, to request food. He nodded, and shot off like a rocket.

Fern giggled “I like him, he's funny!”

Sombra smiled, nodding.

The ponies were startled to hear the artefact was breaking down, but they agreed with the Mayors point; they hadn’t the time to waste.

“I know this is hard,” Sombra said “you will miss your home, my Umbrum's shared the same memories with me of time past. But I hope, in time, the work site will become not just the empire its destined to be, but a wonderful home for you.”

The ponies were touched by his sentiment, and cheered happily. They would mourn their home that had housed so many generations, but they could bring their history with them, and add to it in this new exciting home. To be there right at its birth, there no denying the excitement of it!

“Again, thank you your majesty,” Overwatch said to Sombra as the cheers died down “with the help you and your friend Discord have brought, we'll be set to go in no time, hopefully before the next storm hits. We'll be at our new home.”

More cheers followed this, and Sombra smiled kindly at his former foe.

The rest of that day, Discord accompanied him as he went from house to house, helping stack the carts alongside the guards. Several kids started following after him, entranced by his magic and the awesome wings. Sombra realised they hadn’t seen his Umbrum form yet, so switched to it mid-way back to the town hall.

“Whooaa...that is so wild!” one kid grinned, tapping at Sombra's foreleg “hey, you feel soft!”

Sombra chuckled “It IS solid crystal, but there is also a soft layer of near-transparent coat. Helps retain heat.”

“Amazing, like the snow bunnies!” a filly said to the foal next to her.

“That’s why the cold doesn’t bother me, I barely notice-”

He paused as the kids all started giggling loudly. For behind him, grinning ear to ear, was Discord. He was doing the typical “bunny ears” gesture behind Sombra's head to make the little ponies laugh.

“What-?” Sombra seen a tail out of the corner of his eye, and knew the source of the kids laughter.

“Cut that out, Discord.” he snorted, turning his head and butting the Draconequus' arm with his muzzle, playfully. Discord snickered, before relenting and dropping his arm.

Sombra smiled at the kids, who were getting their breath back from the amusing interlude.

Overwatch, and indeed most of the other ponies all did double takes when they seen the Umbrum form. So far Sombra had been remaining in his illusion form to avoid surprising them, but in the ensuing chaos, had forgotten about showing them.

“Goodness me, you look like a sculpture!” the Mayor remarked. Trek beamed when she seen it, after-all, she and the others with her had seen him as a crystal stallion when they'd met him!

“This is my real form, how the native Umbrum's appear.” Sombra explained to the crowd.

“Why do you use the other version?” Rockhopper enquired. Sombra blinked, fumbling for an explanation to give them.

“It is a habit. I grew up entirely unaware of what I was, and I lived so long as the other me that I still find comfort in it to this day.”

He looked a tad flustered at this and Discord quizzed him on it later on, after dinner, as they prepared to stay the night and begin the evac in the morning.

“Spill, what’s with getting so flustered earlier?” Discord said bluntly. Sombra coughed awkwardly, as they headed towards the building they’d be staying in with one of the families.

“Well, I feel I should have dropped such an attachment by now. I know about my race, I’m accustomed to my Umbrum form. Yet...”

“You cant quit it just yet?” Discord filled in. Sombra nodded, sighing heavily.

“I wouldn’t beat yourself up,” Discord said with a shrug “you’re still you, no matter what colour, shininess or magic you possess. If you're still fond of your illusion form, then forget everyone else! Your Umbrum's, even your mother, have mentioned they love you regardless. So lay off the guilt, OK?”

“Book with pictures and curse words.” Sombra stated, laughing happily. This was referring to Discord's ability to read Sombra like the aforementioned silly book.

“The large print edition.” Discord chipped in, scratching behind Sombra's left ear, and the stallion relaxed properly.

Sombra felt infinitely better, Discord always managed to derail whatever strange anxiety loop his brain was creating. But then, he'd gotten to know him better then even the girls had…

Sombra curled up asleep under a pile of comfy blankets that night. The family he and Discord had been placed with had been fretting about finding the perfect things to offer a King soon as he walked in.

Sombra had assured them they didn’t need to worry, their home was lovely. The couple's little son followed Sombra and Discord around as they got the tour, alternating between asking Discord which hooves and paws were from which animal, and how Sombra looked like a giant tree ornament?

Sombra had elected to sleep downstairs on the massive soft couch, as it was easier with his larger body type, if he needed to stretch. He bid everypony (and Draconequus) goodnight as they went upstairs, and snuggled down amidst the blankets.

Sombra woke in the morning to a soft giggle. Slowly opening his eyes, he seen through the small field of vision, the little foal. He was shepherding some round glass ornaments across the carpet. Sombra had a feeling what he was up to. Thus, he stayed perfectly still as a small child preceded to balance as many ornaments on him as possible. It was hard not twitching his ears, the kid's hooves tickled.

Last but not least, the foal balanced one on the Alicorn's muzzle. It teetered, almost fell, then as he held his breath, it steadied.

Then he got a fright as Sombra, who couldn’t resist the ticklish sensation, made a soft “chuff” noise and scrunched his nose. The bauble rolled off.

“Sorry,” the Alicorn opened his eyes, making as little movement as possible “didn’t mean to interrupt your masterpiece.”

The kid held his breath, expecting a telling off. But Sombra was smiling, and fidgeting.

“I apologise child, but I urgently need to laugh. Mind if I..?”

The kid giggled, and nodded his head. Sombra finally allowed his ears to twitch and the long held in laughter to escape. Hearing the King's rumbling laugh, the kid began giggling even harder and soon they were both in stitches.

By this point, the ornaments had rolled off their intended display pony. The kid gathered them up, still giggling. He met the King's eye, and received a confiding grin. He was secretly glad the big shiny pony hadn’t minded, it'd just been impossible to resist testing out his plan.

Hearing the giggling, the kids parents trotted downstairs, and were joined shortly by Discord. They took in the sight of Sombra playing with their son, making the ornaments fly around the room in various displays with his magic.

“Huh..” the father blinked “what is going on?”

“Ah!” Sombra looked over, and the little foal ran over to hug his parents “sorry. I woke up to find I was a stand-in ornament stand, and could not resist entertaining the little scamp!”

“Nightsky!” His mother scolded, and her son giggled.

“Sorry, your majesty,” the father said hurriedly, but was cut off by Sombra shaking his head, dismissing it. Adding in he'd found it hilarious, and the parents couldn’t help a little chuckle themselves at the story.

While they went to make breakfast, Discord drifted over to Sombra.

“Who knew you made a good babysitter?” he grinned. Sombra gave him a funny look.

“I'm not that good around them, not really...” Sombra shook his head, but Discord just rolled his eyes and flicked his ear.

“Ridiculous, they love you!” he grinned at Sombra's bemused glare, then the pony shrugged and smiled.

They joined the family for breakfast, then it was off to start the evacuation.

But when they got there, the ponies were in a panic. The artefact was showing a big crack across its side now, and appeared to be growing dimmer. Sombra felt a gust of wind tug at his mane, and put two and two together.

“Your majesty!” Overwatch ran over “it's starting to fail-”

“Blast-!” Sombra snarled “this is bad. But there must be something-”

He fell silent, running it through his head, and wondered if more of his magic would work? It’d woken it after all!

He decided to replenish it with his own magic before trying to open the link to the building site.

He explained this to the head guard, who nodded and shepherded the ponies back. Sombra flew up into the cold morning air, flurries of snow drifting by.

He was about to begin, when a paw came to rest on his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder, he seen Discord hovering behind him, out of his wings range.

“Not on your own you don’t. Doctor's orders, you’re not supposed to max yourself out.”

Sombra blinked, then nodded, smiling gratefully. He could feel Discord's power at the edge of his sense. Its chaotic nature called out to the darkness woven into his Umbrum side. Thus he was able to draw from him quite easily. A beam of dark, flickering magic shot from his horn to the artefact. It wobbled, then regained its stability. To those waiting below, it seemed to renew, its faded colour growing a little brighter.

Soon however, Sombra had to cut the connection. Discord released his hold and drifted back. He met the stallions eye, looking a bit pale.

“No wonder you were out of breath last time, that thing hasn't got much left to patch together! It's 90% yours and my magic now!”

“That is why we have to hurry, eventually it will fail for good.” Sombra added as they touched back to ground “times running out.”

After that, it was just the connection to the site left to be made. Discord opened the portal and Sombra once again used his magic and memories to create the portals exit point.

Thus the great migration began, as cart after cart traipsed through the portal, followed by its belongings owners. Most stopped to wave goodbye to their home, and Sombra again felt bad for them, having no choice but to flee the place they called home.

On the other side, Girder seen the portal flare open, and gathered some of his workers around. They greeted the lost and somewhat bewildered ponies as they poured out of the portal. They took in the buildings around them, some finished, some still frames.

“It's wonderful..” Overwatch looked up at the nearest building, that Girder was saying was one of many being tidied up to house them all.

“Welcome to the site for the Umbrum kingdom!” Girder declared to the group “I know its a little chaotic right now, but soon it'll be a fully completed city! If you need anything, come see me and we'll do our best to get it sorted. Any willing folk wanting to lend a hoof, see me or any of the junior foremen. Follow me, and ill give you the tour!”

The rescued ponies cheered gratefully, it was really happening, it was exciting to see their new home!

Over the next week, all the ponies and Zebras were brought through the portal to their new home. At last, Sombra and Discord, who’d been monitoring and refuelling the portal, finally closed it behind them on the town's end.

“Soon it'll be buried in snow,” Sombra sighed “I wish I could’ve stopped it, but this was all I could do.”

“You did fine,” Discord patted his back as they walked “you saved the lives of two groups, ponies AND Zebras. At least now they have hope, there wasn’t a lot of it for them before.”

“You’re right..” Sombra smiled “thank you.”

Discord just grinned and ruffled the ponies mane, giggling in glee as it simply settled back into shape.

“How do you do that?” he laughed. Sombra just chuckled and shrugged.

They arrived back on site at last, and Discord shut the portal for the last time.

“Your majesty!” Girder bowed to the Alicorn “its great to see you back!”

Sombra filled him in on his adventure over coffee in Girders office, and the foreman’s eyebrows almost rose off his face.

“Seriously, he stabbed ya? Geez..” he looked at the scar on Sombra's chest “you’re a lot tougher than I ever guessed.”

“I was lucky, Luna brought me to the hospital just in time!” Sombra shivered at the idea of what could’ve happened.

“Well I’m mighty relieved to have you back in one piece.” Girder said with a grin “welcome home, your majesty!”

The towns-ponies were surprised by the size of the site and by so many ponies, gargoyles and centaurs. Ponies from the empire, Ponyville and beyond!

The crystal covering on the housing amazed the Zebra's, who’d never seen such a compacted material before.

“Its beauty and strength are beyond compare, may we ask, this came from where?” Aeris asked Sombra one morning as he came by to check how the Zebra's were settling in.

"I discovered I can create a type of solid super tough crystal. Girder and I intend to see whether all unicorn Umbrum's can create it and if so, add it as an extra layer to toughen the buildings integrity."

“Astonishing,” Timber said “this place is going to be a marvel when its finished!”

“Super shiny too!” Fern grinned.

“How are you and the other little ones getting on?” Sombra asked. Fern beamed.

“I’ve made so many friends!” she cheered “so have the others! The other kids are really nice. They were a little startled at first, they’ve never met zebras before. But when we showed them the games we invented, they started telling us about themselves and asking about the jewellery!”

“That’s fantastic!” Sombra beamed, he was genuinely glad to see the ponies and Zebras integrating well so far. Not many ponies had ever met a Zebra, aside from Ponyville, so it'd been a little awkward at first. But Fern had proven instrumental, boldly going up to random ponies, introducing herself and giving them a short history on Zebras. Her bright demeanour and cheeky grin soon warmed many a heart, and the Zebras were soon making new bonds with the others.

A few days later, as they left Girders office, Sombra and Overwatch ran into Crossfire. Overwatch hadn’t been able to get the courage to apologise to him, so the kid had taken to ignoring him lately.

“Hay!" Crossfire came bounding over to greet the pony who'd become his teacher. Sombra smiled, ruffling the kids hair.

"You been practising yesterdays homework?" he chuckled. Crossfire nodded, grinning eagerly at the King.

Overwatch really was surprised at how much the kid had changed. He was smiling, happy, and there was no suppressor in sight. He wished he could make it up to him..

He took a step forward, but Crossfire's face soured when he seen the Mayor and he turned to go, only to bump nose-first into Sombra's chest as the pony teleported to intercept him. He blinked up at the Alicorn, looking confused.

"He's sorry for the suppressor." the stallion said softly, “let him talk.”

“Why should I? He didn’t care about ME.” Crossfire scowled, “you’re the only one who cared about how I felt!” He looked up at the pony, tears gathering as old emotional wounds came back. Sombra rested a hoof on his protégé's shoulder.

“I understand. It hurts when somepony treats you wrong. I was resentful of the other more “normal” ponies in the orphanage. They all but shut me out because I was strange. But bitterness got me nowhere, and it’ll do the same to you. I don’t hate them now, I know I made my mistakes and so did they. Bizarrely, since I sealed the Empire away when I went coo-coo, they are still the same age as when I last seen them. Felt strange visiting them as an adult.”

“How do you do that?” Crossfire asked, voice choking up “how do you forgive somepony who made you feel that worthless?”

“Because I found someone who made me see my real worth. He got me to take a good hard look at myself and see something good. And I believed him. I realised I was capable of so much more than I had given myself credit. After that, I began letting go of the anger I had run on for so long.”

Crossfire nodded, he could see Sombra's point...

“I was actually worried about seeing them again, I was sure they’d refuse, they had to have hated me. But, to my surprise, they welcomed me in, and said they wanted to say they were sorry for all the times they hurt me. They hadn’t thought just how much damage their actions had caused. They didn’t treat the other kids like that any more, they were making friends again. They asked if I could forgive them.”

“And what did you say?” Crossfire asked.

“I told them “only if you’ll do the same for me”. And that was it, we finally...made up. Started afresh. I told them about that rude rhyme the director taught me all that time ago, and they fair cried with laughter!”

“The one that-?” the colt sniggered.

“Yes,” Sombra coughed “the innuendo one. Please don't ever tell your parents I taught you THAT, I fear they will lynch me.” but he was trying not to laugh as he spoke.

Crossfire giggled, the memory cheering him up. He met Sombra's gaze again and seen a look in his teacher's eyes. He sighed.

“You really think I should forgive him?”

“He made a mistake, he did not know what to do and mistakenly assumed shutting your magic off was the only way. It was unfair, and he genuinely wants to apologise. He is just not sure how to approach it.”

“He said that?” Crossfire glanced sceptically at the Mayor, who did look uneasy, then back at the King. Sombra nodded.

He then nudged the kid back towards the now-fidgeting old pony "go on. he's as scared of you as you are of him. Go easy."

"OK, if you think so." Crossfire said doubtfully.

"Thank you. I will see you this afternoon for your lesson!" Sombra smiled and disappeared into the crowd as Crossfire braved talking to the pony he'd always butted heads with.

But he had an idea.

He asked the Mayor to follow him and he brought him out to the fenced off area where Sombra had been teaching him how to train his magic. He told the Mayor the whole story from his point of view, as he set up some cans.

He then proceeded to shoot them all off with pinpoint accuracy. Even recreated the “punching holes through the can” thing he'd impressed Sombra with back at the first lesson.

"Sweet Celestia-” the Mayor said, jaw hanging open.

"Everypony used to be scared of me, they didn’t want the kids playing with me. Now I’m allowed to play with them, and I’ve made friends with some of the guards here too! They’ve been teaching me stamina exercises, I practised while the King was away!"

"You needed an outlet, not suppression." the Mayor sighed guiltily, recalling Sombra's words "hoo boy, that big fella's not all about force. Got a good brain in there too."

"You mean the King?" Crossfire looked puzzled. So now the mayor told HIS story. How Sombra had confronted him, yet refused to rise to the bait. He'd saved him from those raiders too.

“It scared me half to death when I seen that raider stab him like that!” Overwatch shivered, and Crossfire nodded.

“Yeah, I seen the scar, he said he was sick for a couple of days before he could heal himself. Sounded scary!”

“Without his help, and that of the Zebra family accompanying him, we'd be in a far worse state right now. He used that shadow magic to knock them all out and save us.”

“What happened to those guys?” Crossfire asked.

“The big feller said they’re in lock-up over at the Crystal Empire. Facing charges of assault, theft and attempted murder of royalty.”

Crossfire gave a low whistle “what nutjobs.” he muttered.

The Mayor took a look at the tin can with the neat hole bored into it, and had an idea. As he'd left, Sombra had taken the dying artefact back and given it to the Mayor as a piece of history. The crack in it had reformed a few days after its power was finally faded, and a chunk had fallen off. This, Overwatch now showed to Crossfire.

"I intend to bore a hole through this and present it to his majesty, as a symbol of what he did for us. What he did for YOU."

Crossfire opened his mouth, but the Mayor waved a hoof, as if he wasn’t finished. The young pony fell silent, seeing the crotchety old Mayor suddenly looked...ashamed?

"I'm rightfully sorry for the upset I caused you kiddo. I was so obsessed with keeping the village together I failed to see it was starting to fall apart because of my actions. That as much as I wanted to hold onto the past, our home, that just wasn’t possible. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised; Home isn’t just about a bunch of buildings, it's about the PONIES that make it. Here can be home too, whether you need a doddering old fool however, is up to you."

"Fools a bit far.." Crossfire teased, but not cruelly. The Mayor caught the joke, and snorted softly, a wry smile crossing his face.

“You remind me of Sombra's gargoyle guard, Captain Corona. Real smart-alec feller.”

“Yeah, he's awesome!” Crossfire felt his anger thaw a little, still surprised at the actual apology. He reflected on Sombra's words...

"He understood, didn’t he? How hard it can be to make up for past slip-ups.." he said softly, and the Mayor nodded.

“I hope you can forgive me someday..” the Mayor began to walk away, but was surprised when Crossfire called after him.

“You don’t have to wait. It's forgiven, we're cool.” Crossfire decided. He didn’t want to be angry all his life, and his parents had said they too were so sorry they hadn’t trusted him. If he could forgive them, there was no reason he shouldn’t give the Mayor a second chance too.

“Thank you, Crossfire.” The Mayor said, feeling close to crying in relief. He'd taken a hard learning curve since Sombra's arrival, realising his attitude had been cruel at times. He taken the time to reflect on not just the Crossfire situation, but the Zebra one too. He'd made an effort to be as friendly as he could and they’d opened up to him bit by bit over the last few days.

“New home, new start, right?” Crossfire added, and this seemed to make the Mayor brighten.

“Indeed, lad,” he smiled “I have a feeling this will be a wonderful home for us all. We have a good guardian watching over us.”

Crossfire nodded. Sombra was a good King...

The next day, Sombra and Girder spoke to those that wished to join work teams, and Corona and his guards talked with the new ponies about security and what to do if they seen anything suspicious.

After that, Sombra, with Corona alongside, went to speak with Overwatch to see if he needed anything. The other ponies staying in that house all gathered around to see the King. Sombra was pleased to see Crossfire standing beside the Mayor. When he'd met the kid for their daily lesson, Crossfire had told him how it'd gone. Sombra had told him he was very proud of him, and Crossfire's face had lit up.

Now, as they wrapped up the talks, the Mayor and Crossfire stepped up to address Sombra.

"There's something I’d like to say, your highness." the Mayor spoke up so everypony in the room would hear him "you’ve given us a fresh start, offered us food and shelter in homes that YOU helped build. You protected us from the storm and for all of this we are extremely grateful."

The assembled ponies cheered, and Sombra felt himself flush a little. But his relief and delight were obvious in his eyes alone.

"The young lad gave me a hand with this," the Mayor held up a familiar shard of artefact on a braided chain. Engraved into it was Sombra's cutie mark. "we wanted to present this to you as a sign of our gratitude."

Crossfire grinned at the King "I bored the hold with my magic, and helped with the engraving with my dad!" he said proudly.

"It's wonderful." Sombra smiled, looking proud of the young colt "your power is outstanding."

Crossfire flushed, but stood proudly nonetheless. This was the feeling, the gratification he'd wanted all his life. The Mayor handed the necklace to him, and he used his magic to fasten it around the neck of their helper and friend. The colour of the jewel shone softly, as if it could sense the magic of the pony bearing it. It was a labour of love, crafted by those he'd helped.

"Nice." Corona said, nodding in approval. The ponies cheered as Sombra inclined his head and spoke the assembled crowd;

"Thank You."

The next morning the Mayor woke up and went in search of Sombra, hoping there was something HE could do to help. He felt bad just sitting on the sidelines while the others worked. He needed something to do that didn’t involve heavy labour.

After several minutes of searching, he realised he didn’t know where the King lived. So far Sombra had come to HIM, and he was usually on a job or stationed at Girder's office when anypony needed him.

He couldn’t find any sign of a private residence being used by the King. In fact he soon realised he and the other refugees were using the finished houses in complete entirety!

So where was the King?

He chanced stopping by the various barracks/sleeping quarters to ask, and in the final one, a Centaur he ran into indicated a screened-off area towards the back of the room. Overwatch did a double take.

"Eh? Shouldn't a King be able to have a place of his own? We're not keeping him from his own home by using those houses are we?" he looked horrified at the idea.

The Centaur shook his head, stamping his hooves in amusement "I was surprised at first too, but as far as I can tell, he's been here since the earlier days and refuses to hear of it. Somehow I think it’ll be the day the palace is built before he moves out of here!"

"He's an odd feller, least kingly- King I’ve ever met." Overwatch said at last.

"Yet there’s no denying it's in his breeding to rule, I can see it," the Centaur said with a nod "and I know he prefers the closeness of a common working bond to the relationship of a King and his subjects right now. My guess is, his majesty is still a little uncertain about taking the reigns. Our King, His majesty King Vorak, believes this work will aid him when he is finally on the throne."

"I've seen balls of string less complicated than this.." Overwatch chuckled at last "goodness me, what a tangled web we weave."

"Indeed." the Centaur nodded "if you wish to speak with his highness, he will not mind. Today is a scheduled day off for him, so he'll be writing letters to the Princesses. Go ahead."

"Thank you kindly." Overwatch said stoutly, then took a deep breath and made his way across the packed floor towards the screen. He rapped a hoof on the wooden frame, and heard Sombra's familiar voice telling him to come in, as it were.

Sure enough, Sombra was surrounded by sheets of parchment and an elegant quill was floating mid air above a half-finished page.

"Everything alright?" The monarch asked, setting the paper down and the quill back in its ink-pot.

Overwatch asked if there was a way he might help. Given his age, he wasn't as spry as he used to be, so hard labour was out of the question..

Sombra mulled it over, before suggesting he go speak to Girder. At present, his two assistants were working with inventory, but Girder would undoubtedly appreciate any extra information about the new ponies.

"They’re your ponies, so you know them best," Sombra explained "any details that can help streamline operations here, Girder will appreciate highly. "

"Now that I can do, lad. Now I’ve settled in, I’m getting a case of the fidgets with nothin' to do!" Overwatch sighed in relief "Just one question; what’re your assistants doing working in an office? Aren’t they supposed to help YOU?"

Sombra chuckled gently "they are not suited for heavy duty work. Their strengths lie in their minds, and it felt wasteful insisting they follow me around doing whatever I do. So I asked them to assist Girder, who could put their talents to better use. I suspect they were quite horrified at how willing I was to get dirty and covered in cement. I think I am not what they think a King should be, and they’re a little surprised."

"Give 'em time, they’ll come around." Overwatch said assuredly "if you can get through the defences of a stubborn old fart like me, I’m sure you’ll win them over in no time!"

The made Sombra brighten, and he couldn’t help smile. He invited the pony to stay awhile and talk, and before long, they'd been talking for over an hour, about all manner of things. Sombra felt Overwatch's experience was useful in helping HIM learn to run an empire. It was a different scale, but the same job. And he had a long way to go yet...

Overwatch observed Sombra over the next few days, and noted he did indeed act decidedly un-royal. He was forever up to his flank in work, strutting around the site towing carts or carrying loads on his back, supported by his immense wings. When he wasn’t doing that, he was acting as a teacher to the vastly improving Crossfire. Overwatch even heard him singing some rude songs at a gathering one night.

A week later, Sombra's dreams began taking a strange turn, and his sleepwalking began getting worse. Every night now, he was waking up standing somewhere else.

On the most recent night, he awoke to see a near frantic Captain Corona hovering in front of him. His ears were ringing from what he guessed instinctively was a loud yell. On seeing him focusing properly, the Gargoyle heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, I was thinking I’d have to slap you before you brained yourself on the work gear!" the relieved gargoyle huffed. He indicated the pieces of construction machinery standing idle nearby. Sombra was a few scant meters away from a concussion.

"Also, you talk.." the Gargoyle frowned "I’m guessing its the Umbrum language, as its like nothing I’ve ever heard."

Sombra coughed, looking slightly embarrassed.

"It IS getting worse," he admitted "every night now."

"Yeah, I’ve noticed. I’ve also had reports from the other night patrols that they see you wandering about, but they haven’t approached, just kept their distance and made sure you didn’t injure yourself!”

“I see..” Sombra said, sighing softly “Thank you, Captain. Truly.”

"That's my honour sire, now lets get you inside before you turn into a pony-sicle. Have you considered seeing a doctor?" Corona asked as he followed Sombra back to the sleeping quarters.

"I spoke with the site doctor-" the King began. Corona shook his head.

"I know, I asked. But he suggests you see a specialist. There's one in the Crystal Empire, by luck. By which I mean I wrote to the pink swirly-haired Princess and she told me. I suggest you visit as soon as possible, for your own sake, and your guards! We're concerned, sire."

"Very well, I’ll endeavour to go out there asap. Thank you, Captain." he managed a weary smile, relieved he had such earnest watchdogs.

"Sleep well, your majesty." Corona bid him goodnight and left to return to his post. Sombra crept back to his bed, feeling worried. Why was the sleep walking getting worse, and what was with those vague nightmares? Just images, flashes of a dark power like a storm cloud, brewing inside the crystal heart. Was it another internal worry materialising?

--No, I mean...yes I’ll admit I still feel awkward visiting the Empire, but things have started over now. It's alright.--

So what did it mean?

He fell asleep, still puzzled...

Thus, two days later he was on a train heading back to the Crystal Empire early in the morning. He yawned sleepily, and his companion for the trip, the familiar Gargoyle Captain, cast him a concerned look.

"You OK your majesty?" he asked. Sombra nodded, seeing Corona's look of concern.

"I’m fine.." he said dozily. He lent against the window, just shutting his eyes for just a moment.

He was jolted awake as the train blew its horn to signal approach to the station. He shook himself, groaning. Corona didn’t say anything, but his concern was obvious. Sombra shivered, wondering if he should've brought a cloak after all?

As they disembarked the train, getting several double takes from the ponies waiting on the platform, things were already accelerating...

The old Centaur kept his head down as he walked sedately along with the crowds. But his heart hammered anxiously. He had to find that spell, it'd been missing for days...

What made this thing dangerous was that it possessed a level of sentience. It was smart. He'd gotten lax in recent months and had let himself be lulled into a false sense of complacency, thus he'd failed to renew the wards when checking the spells containment. It'd broken free and torn off into the sky, leaving a storm in its wake. He been on the trail of it ever since. It'd flown across the wastes, heading directly for the Crystal empire.

Had the old centaur gone just few degrees off course in his pursuit, he'd have stumbled across the Umbrum work site...

But now he was in the Empire, and looking everywhere for that spell. He kept his ears pricked for ANY strange news, eavesdropping on ponies conversations as he pretended to stare into shop windows. The sky was grey, a storm rapidly brewing. The shield around the Empire usually kept them out, but this one had gotten in, which had the populace alarmed.

He thought he'd lost the spell, and was preparing to head for Canterlot when he struck gold. Snippets of a conversation between two well dressed mares...

"Did you hear? The Princess took the heart inside!"

“Why?"

"It was turning cloudy, she said it needs sprucing up! Have you ever heard the like?"

“It is a strange artefact, why I swear its got a spirit of its own! You saw what it did for the Umbrum leader!"

"Of course! How is he, I wonder-"

The Centaur lost the conversation then, for he was already heading toward the palace. Of course, the Crystal Heart. That thing had been the centre of numerous strange occurrences over the years…

He moved as fast as he could, hoping this would be it, that he'd simply take the spell and go home. He'd hide it behind even MORE powerful wards and never be so foolish again...

Candace and Shining Armor were studying the heart when they got news they had a visitor at the door who had said it was urgent they see him. That he knew what was wrong with the heart.

They shared dubious glances, but agreed to see him anyway. Cadance put the heart behind her most powerful shield, and she and Shining awaited the visitors arrival.

To their surprise it was a Centaur, they didn’t see many of them at the Empire!

"Is there a way we can assist you?" Cadance asked guardedly, wondering why he was insisting on seeing her and her husband.

The Centaur's eyes settled on the heart, and his own sank.

--Just as I suspected..--

Outside, the clouds rumbled and Shining frowned. Rain burst forth with a blast of sound, darkening the sky in seconds.

"We don’t normally get storms here." he murmured.

"I regret to tell your highnesses, but that is no natural storm." the Centaur said heavily. Both ponies eyes locked onto him.

"Who are you"? Shining Armor asked.

The centaur bowed "I am Morloc, I’m a scholar. I've studied magic in both my homeland, and my travels."

"And you think you know what’s wrong with the heart?" Cadance said sceptically. The Centaur nodded.

"What you’re looking at is some bad magic, I’ve been chasing it for some time now, hoping to destroy it before it laid down roots."

“Is that what its doing? Taking root in the heart?" Shining Armor was extremely alarmed. This was BAD.

Morloc nodded "we need to get it out of there."

But as he made to explain what was necessary, the door was flung open and a voice called out "Princess!"

As they’d gotten closer to the castle, the skies had opened up, and soon the Umbrum stallion was drenched, his faithful guard no dryer than he.

"Not a fan of rain.." Corona muttered, ears shivering "I come from a hot country, this stuff is...bleh!"

Sombra chuckled "I must confess I am fond of water, it's relaxing."

As they approached, Sombra seen the heart was gone and frowned in concern. then he experienced a terrible stabbing pain, and dizzying images raced through his head. He crumpled to the floor, Corona doing his best to support him and stop him from face-planting into the crystal paving.

"Sire? What’s wrong?" he yelled over the rain.

"M-my head.." Sombra gasped "something is off, it's very wrong! We have to find Princess Cadance!"

"Of course!" Corona knew who she was, he'd met her during the visit where he and the others had been assigned to King Sombra's workforce. The pink one with the tricolour mane. She was the one who referred him to the specialist doctor that could help Sombra. Her mane reminded him of a type of triple-swirled ice cream commonly sold in the place he called home. So he mentally nicknamed her "Princess ice cream".

He guided the pained King to the door. The guard on duty was very concerned by the look of pain on the Alicorn's face.

“Shall I fetch the doctor?” the guard asked as he and Corona brought the King inside.

Sombra shook his head, saying he just needed to see Cadance urgently.

"Goodness, she's popular today!" the guard remarked as he walked them along the hall.

"H-how do you mean?" Sombra winced. The pain was abating a little now the shock had worn off.

"Well, we had a centaur come by earlier-" This made Corona's attention spike.

"Really?" he asked, curiously. It was rare for them to venture out this far. Sure, it wasn’t unheard of, but what were the chances on today of all days?

As they got closer, Sombra suddenly stopped. He shifted from a look of pain to one of extreme concern, then he took off ahead. He flung the door open with none of his usual restraint, yelling for the Princess-

Corona shot off, reaching the King's side just as everything went to pot.

Both the ponies and the guards stationed by the door turned to look over at the source of the yelling. Morloc remained fixated on the heart however, he was so close...

Then he seen the heart shudder, the darkness inside it swirling, as if it was sensing something-

He yelled for everyone to duck. And it was just as well, as spikes of corrupted crystal blasted out from the heart, shattering Cadence's shield and aiming right for Sombra!

Corona wasted no time in throwing his weight against the King's side, grabbing the Alicorn's wing in an attempt to force the pony to his knees. It worked, and the crystal overshot the King, one shard embedding in the wall, the other...

Sombra heard Corona yell, just as he processed getting a face full of carpet. He lifted his head, seeing blood dripping to the carpet. The projectiles had clipped his guard, the Gargoyle had a deep cut from the first projectile in his left shoulder, and another one had torn a small shred off his right ear.

"Captain!" Sombra gasped. He flung a shield up, even as more shards fired their way.

"I’m fine, sire!" Corona dismissed the King's worry "you need to stop that thing!" If I’m not mistaken its honing in on YOU!"

As this went on, Cadance peeked through her mane at Morloc.

"What’s happening?" she said furiously.

"What has taken your heart prisoner has a taste for magic, of a distinct kind."

Cadance put two and two together with who she'd caught a glimpse of in the doorway, before the madness had begun.

"Dark magic..." she whispered.

Morloc nodded "I don’t know what kind of wizard you have in your employ, but dark magic is dangerous!"

"If that’s who I thought it was," Shining Armor muttered "he’s THE master-!"

He cut off as the heart suddenly ceased firing, and the rattling sound of something firing into a shield instead met their ears.

Cadance turned and seen a flowing black shadow, with distinct eyes and horn, entwined around the shield currently protecting them from the Heart's rage.

She sighed in relief. Sombra caught her eye and nodded, before reforming himself before the trio.

The shadow King glanced back at the door, where the two guards who’d dove out of the way when the attack commenced were now seeing to Corona, who appeared to be giving them instructions on first aid. He sighed in relief.

"Nice timing.." Shining wheezed.

Sighing in relief, the Centaur mage now decided to take a look at their rescuer. His jaw promptly hit the floor as he took in what he was seeing.

"Sweet sorcery on high.." he whispered "he actually did it-!"

He was looking at a pony he'd never thought he'd see. When that crazy Scorpan had cornered him with threats, he'd palmed him off, saying if he could resurrect the former King he'd have a chance. He hadn’t actually thought it possible, and he'd been on the run from his own home ever since. When he had realised the danger Scorpan represented, he fled. He was too old to fight...

Living like a hermit, he hadn’t seen any of the news surrounding Sombra's return, this this was his first glimpse of the Umbrum pony. He took in the crystalline body, wings and the basic fact he was alive.

When he inadvertently spoke out loud, Sombra's ears twitched, and he turned his gaze on Morloc.

"What...did you just say...?" Cadance voiced the unspoken question that Sombra seemed unable to voice.

Once the floodgates were open, Morloc's morbid curiosity only dug him in deeper. Without thinking, he blurted;

"I gave him that scroll just to distract him, I didn’t think he'd actually be able to bring you back-wha?!"

He backed up sharply as the pony suddenly stood over him. Morloc was average height for a Centaur, but this impressive stallion was still able to stare down at him. He gulped nervously, recalling what he knew about this pony.

He shot a nervous glance at the two royal ponies, but the Prince and Princess bore similar looks to Sombra. Part anger, part shock.

"W-why is he here?!" he bleated.

"If you’re looking for the bad guy in all this, you’re in the wrong place. Try Tartarus." Shining Armor said bluntly. Morloc made a gibbering noise, and Sombra growled softly, dragging the Centaur's attention back to the pony.

"It was YOU." Sombra managed to force the words out. The Centaur in front of him backed up another step, hands raised as if to ward him off.

"Morloc?" Patched up, Corona spotted who else was in the room, and flew over, wincing as his bandaged wounds ached "what are YOU doing here?"

Morloc did a double take. He remembered Corona from when he was little, and he'd seen him on patrol before his mad dash to flee his home.

"Corona, goodness...it's been a long time..."

“Yeah, according to King Vorak, you’re MIA-" Corona caught the rigid stance of his current master, and cut off mid-sentance "you alright, your majesty?"

"Tell him what you just said." Sombra said icily to Morloc. The mage began to panic, seeing Corona's gaze flicking from him to the stallion.

"I-i didn’t say anything, j-just that I didn’t think you were actually alive- it was supposed to be impossible-!"

"Wait a second.." Corona shook his head, as like Sombra, he added things up "You KNEW about this. But that means.."

"He is the one who instructed Scorpan on how to, shall we say, "awaken" me?" Sombra said softly. Corona stared at the King, then the mage.

"WHAT." Corona's voice was furious and he snarled a Gargoyle curse word under his breath.

"What else could I do?" Morloc went for broke, why were they all acting like HE was the villain? Look who was standing among them!!

"How about not aid and abet a known element of trouble?" Corona hissed.

"I didn’t think he'd seriously be able to resurrect you- b-but it looks like you escaped that lunatic anyway-"

Sombra couldn’t help it, he lost control. He took a step forward, and Corona ducked once again as he recognised the pony’s stance.

With a jarring, cracking sound, Sombra snapped his wings out to their full size, which made Morloc utter a faint shriek and back-peddle away from him. He stared up at the wings from his position on the floor. His own reflection was mirrored back at him in those appendages. What WAS Sombra now?

"Do you know," Sombra said coldly "what you did. To me, to the princesses? The danger you put Equestria in? Escape-?"

He advanced on Morloc, who scuttled back, the pony’s wrath was terrifying!

"Do you have ANY idea what he put me through-" Sombra cut off, feeling sickness and a faded sense of captivity well up. So many memories, all of them awful. His magic raged at his restraint. This was the being who'd been partly responsible for the nightmare he'd been through...

"I-I.." Morloc sputtered "he wasn't supposed to be able to do it-"

"He was insane!" Sombra yelled back "you couldn’t have ignored the thought there was a chance he could succeed? What he would DO with power like mine?"

Morloc gulped nervously. he could see a real anger and pain in the pony’s eyes.

"W-what did he do..?" he whispered. Sombra shuddered.

"Why don’t I SHOW you." he hissed. And before Morloc could respond, the pony closed his eyes. Magic swirled around his horn and suddenly Morloc's head was full of memories. Short bursts, full of nightmarish torment. Pain, suffering, the clanking of chains. Fear hit him full on and he shook his head. This could be real...could it?

Then it showed some brief snatches of happier times. A group of younger mares offering kindness and even the pony who raised the sun was there, worry in her eyes. Last but not least, he seen the fight from Sombra's perspective, watched Scorpan's defeat at the hooves of the same pony he'd tortured.

Then he was back in the throne room, confronting a furious Alicorn.

He didn’t have any pleas left for the stallion, what could he say to that?

Desperate, he looked over at Corona now.

"H-help-" he began, but Corona snorted.

"Help you? Heck, I could arrest you on behalf of King Vorak right now!" he shrugged, regretting it as his shoulder twinged "you crazy old coot!"

While they watched Sombra scaring the daylights out of the Centaur, Shining looked at Cadance.

"Should we...stop them?" he asked, but Cadance shook her head.

"He's right to be angry, this must be pretty awful for him. I don't think he's going to do anything rash. He just wants answers..."

Shining Armor nodded, then heard a new, faint cracking sound. He and Cadance looked over at the shield surrounding the infected Crystal Heart. It was starting to crack- "Uh, guys?"

Corona heard their voices, and looked over the top of one of Sombra's wings.

"What is it?" asked, absently noting just how much tension was occupying the Kings body, he could feel it in the wing he was leaning over.

"I think we have a more..urgent problem…" Cadance said, gesturing to the Heart.

Corona spotted the attempted jailbreak of the Heart, and tapped the Kings shoulder with one hand. Sombra broke off from glaring at Morloc to look at his guard.

"Your majesty, this will have to wait! Your attention is more urgently needed-"

Sombra looked in the direction Corona pointed.

"What is that thing?" he hissed at Morloc "and what is it doing to the Heart?"

"Its an ancient spell, I’ve guarded it most my life. But as I got older, I got careless. I couldn’t risk Scorpan finding it, it's dangerous. I hid it deep beneath the ground, and distracted him from robbing my home..." he trailed off as he realised the "distraction" had resulted in Sombra's pain. The pony shot him a hateful look, as if he'd read his mind, but said nothing.

"How do we stop it?" he said coldly.

"I-its sentient, intelligent....you cant just disassemble it!"

"Why did it fire on his majesty?" Corona demanded. Morloc gulped, casting a glance at Sombra, then the Prince and Princess. Surely he didn’t rule HERE, did he?

"Nope, different place altogether, so we cant stop him!" Shining Armor said calmly. Morloc looked about to faint, and looked back at Sombra.

"Answer him!" Corona demanded, as he unslung his spear from his back "don’t make me kick your ass!"

For once, Sombra didn’t tell the Captain to calm himself. He guessed rightly that Corona had a beef with this guy on his own kingdom's account, and he could not deny the other his fury.

"The history books- I mean, all the stories say your magic is purely dark. To that spell, that’s the equivalent of a tantalizing feast! It’ll go after you until it gets it!"

Sombra felt a sense of deja vu, and wondered how many times would he be hunted for his magic? As far as he was able to find out, he alone had such high levels of dark magic. Even Celestia had pointed out she only knew a fraction of the spells he did. Dark magic was illegal to study due to its nefarious nature. Being who he was, having lived with it most of his life, he didn’t find it odd, but in comparison to the rest of the world, he was an anomaly.

He realised it fell to him, therefore, to stop this thing. If it was so fixated on HIM, it was likely not going to let anypony else get in its way. He didn’t want innocent ponies getting hurt.

"Then there is only one option." he murmured.

The Heart continued to batter at the shield. Sombra teleported, appearing on the other side of the Heart, and sure enough, the heart swivelled to face him head on. No denying the facts, it had gotten the scent of his magic.

"We have to stop it-!" Cadance began, but stopped as Sombra shook his head. Her looked at her from over the shielded Heart.

"I have to stop it," he said heavily "it’ll tear apart anything and anypony that obstructs it."

"He's right.." Morloc croaked nervously, while Corona continued to glare at him "the heart has become a thing of darkness. One dark heart seeks another-!!"

He cut off rapidly as the tip of Corona's spear jabbed his nose lightly. An unmistakeable warning gesture, so he didn’t continue.

Sombra didn’t see this. He heard it however, and felt that familiar old guilt hover at the edge of his thoughts a moment. But he dismissed it rapidly, now was not the time.

It threw itself at the shield at the same time Sombra raised his wings to fly up. The heart swivelled and projected a sharp spike of crystal at him. The shield fell in tatters and the spike caught Sombra by surprise, punching into his right wing. The speed of the attack pinned him to the wall behind him. Through the pain, he heard Corona yell, then a thud. He looked up, pain forgotten, and seen a thick enclosure of dusky grey crystal had formed around him. Mixed into its swirling colour was some traces of blue. He heard yelling from behind this barrier, and surmised it was opening fire on everypony else.

"The buck you are..." he spat. Gritting his teeth, he aimed a sharp, short burst of magic at the spike digging into his wing. It broke off from the main body of the spike. With one heave, he was able to pull it free. Stomach churning pain hit him like a sucker punch, but he squashed it down and applied a "quick fix" to the wound. He needed to fly, but he didn’t have the time to fully heal it, he would have to rely on this working.

Next up, this "prison".

Cadance and Shining Armor crouched behind a shield, the Gargoyle and Centaur with them. Corona looked pale, the bandages on his wounds already soaking through. He looked over at the prison containing his master.

"We have to get to him somehow-" he began.

"Its crazy! You go out there, it'll shoot you full of more holes than that eternal piece of Swiss cheese everypony always refers to!" Shining pointed out. Corona glared at the Centaur.

"You’d best hope his highness is in a forgiving mood when this is over, as I for one will not. I will leave judgement to the ponies involved, their highnesses, otherwise your sorry ass would be in chains!"

Morloc again didn’t say a word, just seemed to accept this. He'd known things would catch up to him eventually, but not like this- He dropped that train of thought as he seen the crystal prison Sombra had been rapidly cocooned in was now glowing...from the inside!

"What's-?" he pointed towards it. Corona scowled, but he and the other two all looked over at the crystal prison-

The glow intensified and all jaws dropped as it exploded, chunks of crystal disintegrating into dust. Amidst the wreckage stood a decidedly angry Sombra. Wings outspread, magic in high gear. Crimson eyes gleamed, framed by their green glow. Wisps of purple magic only served to enhance the sight.

Blood stained his right wing, but it appeared fixed, at least at first glance. The heart, which had taken to hovering at the top of the high ceilinged room, swivelled to face him. It fired a barrage of crystals at its escaped target. They hit Sombra's shield as he flung it up, smashing to dust. The Heart hesitated, changing tactics, but Sombra didn’t give it time. He shot up into the air, aiming for the Heart. It fired more rounds, but Sombra just smirked, and shifted mid-flight to the black shadowy form. This way, the shards passed right through him, and he was able to cling to the wall.

The possessed Heart tried firing something akin to a beam of blazing blue light, the real Heart's own power, at this strange pony. But although it struck him right through the centre of his mass, it had no effect. The shadowy Sombra just reformed around it..

"Has...anypony ever wondered just HOW he does that?" Shining asked "its puzzled me since we first, you know, drove him out that time. How can he be a shadow?"

"I think it's something to do with being an Umbrum," Corona piped up "he told me how when he first encountered his race again, they were just shadows. It must an inherent trait of their kind! Maybe his majesty is the only one able to fluidly use it? He's never spoken about it. Don’t think he necessarily likes to."

"That’s right.." Shining Armor flashed back to that day, when Sombra had first come back to the Empire. He'd still been a fractured, uneasy soul and had taken a long time to heal.

"I dare say he avoids using it because of the ties to the past." Shining suggested. Cadance nodded, and looked at Corona.

"Sometimes I’ve seen him with this faraway look on his face," Corona said softly, frowning "he acts as if discussing his past is easy, he's been more than open with anypony that asks. But afterwards, he seems to just retreat into himself for awhile. I don’t think its as easy as he makes out."

"I had wondered." Cadance nodded. "I know his new habit of being completely open about the past has been welcomed by many across Equestria, but I hope he's not hurting himself in the process."

"He's a little too good at hiding behind a poker face, according to Girder." Corona added.

All conversation trailed off as they seen Sombra had finally managed to close in on the heart. The blast he fired stunned it, but only briefly, it just shrugged off the damage and pulsed again. More crystal formed in the air, preparing to fire-

"The buck you are-!" Sombra snapped. He lunged at it, disrupting the Hearts next attempt and set off a teleport spell once he was within range. Thus the both of them vanished in a thunderclap of sound.

"Where'd they go?" Corona cried. Cadance dropped the shield and they all ran to the windows. But they couldn’t see anything.

"The balcony!" Cadance cried. They ran out and looked all around-

"There!" The Centaur spotted something amidst the heavy rain. A blast of lightning highlighted the scene and in that brief snapshot they seen Sombra and the heart facing off amidst the storm. Rainwater ran over the crystal Alicorn's wings, and Cadance seen he was having difficulty remaining airborne. It was clearly hurting to flap his wings, and she seen a reddish stain, diluted by rain, spreading down the left wing. With each blast of lightning, they seen flashes of the fight; Sombra banking and weaving to avoid the hearts shots- it firing unrelenting barrages at him in turn.

Unaware of the audience, Sombra was puzzling over some way, ANY way to defeat this thing. Then he had an idea. It was crazy, but fighting this way was getting nowhere, this thing was countering every move he made! So he took a deep breath and recalled the night the heart had granted him the immunity. He had to connect to it-

-And what better place then from within!

Sombra turned and seemingly fled, forcing the Heart, wrapped in its ominous aura, to follow. He shot higher into the sky, and his whole body started to glow. The heart sped after him regardless, intent on catching him, thus it had no way of avoiding Sombra when he banked at speed and turned back.

To those watching, he seemed to lose all shape, becoming a blazing blur of light that hit the Heart dead centre. A pulse of light blasted out, blowing the rain askew for a second. The heart stopped mid air, lighting up bright. Then, as the startled audience stared, a thick ball of crystal formed around it, hiding it from sight. Curls of crystal unfurled from its base, forming a pillar that stretched to the ground. Then it went still, only the storm left to hear...

"What just happened...?" Shining Armor asked. Drawn by the sounds of the fight going still, ponies crept out of their houses. They stared up at the crystal pillar, and the globe it supported. What was it? What was happening?

"I think he merged with it somehow?" Cadance grasped for an explanation.

Morloc took this in, and he realised the Umbrum's ploy "he intends to destroy the spell from the inside..."

This struck a chord with Corona, who recalled an incident the King had spoken of during one of the conversations.

"The wraith...!" he blurted "it's just like the incident with the wraith! His majesty told me the only way he was able to take that thing down was to willingly allow it to possess him then take it down from within. This is the same. He's found a way to place himself inside the heart. If the source of the corruption is in there, he'll be able to destroy it!"

"I hope so." Cadance sighed. Shining Armor patted her back.

"If anypony can untangle a dark magic spell, its gonna be him."

Cadance nodded, looking back over her shoulder as Shining drew her back inside. The others followed, the rain was too cold to hang around in for long...

"Please save the heart.." the concerned Princess whispered.

Minutes seemed to drag by agonizingly as they waited inside the balcony doors, out of the rain, but watching the crystal pillar. Corona made sure he kept an eye on Morloc, not trusting the old mage. Morloc wondered who was going to arrest him first. The Crystal Empire, his own home, or the mystery empire Sombra now ruled? Corona sure seemed to be gunning for his arrest, and as he seemed to have allegiance to both Vorak and Sombra, there was no telling what influence he'd have.

But that the unicorn King was not only alive, but an Alicorn now? It was surreal...

Author's Note

Part 1/2 of the final chapter. It ended up being huge so...yup. =D

Next part soon!

Coronation [Finale]

Inside the strange prison, Sombra had indeed joined the corruption in taking residence inside the Heart. It represented itself as a bleak landscape, black corrosion rapidly eating away at the soft blue crystal that formed the landscape. Sombra touched it with one hoof and was hit with heavy feelings of pain and twisted desire for power...

--You are the same as I..-- a warped voice cackled. Sombra spun, looking for its owner.

"Show yourself!" he snapped.

"As you wish…" the voice said from behind him now.

The Umbrum Alicorn turned once again, and stared. He was facing himself. His OLD self. Back when he was a unicorn, wearing that familiar armor and cloak. The apparition grinned menacingly and strode towards him.

"Yes, that’s right. We're the same. I can sense your magic, your sins. All the pain you caused and still have potential to."

Sombra remained silent, glaring at it. He had to keep his guard up.

"You won't destroy me so easily, we're so similar!" it, no HE, taunted.

Sombra backed away, magic crackling around his horn. He chanced firing at the fake him, but the fake teleported away and the blast of dark magic hit the scenery instead. Sombra seen it crack, and the ground under him shuddered..

"Uh uh..." the illusion reappeared and cackled gleefully "you’re hurting it!"

Sombra faltered, what if he ended up destroying the Crystal Heart?

"Exactly! This is MY home now, you cant hope to just erase me. I'll devour this precious heart, then the rest of this world awaits!"

Something triggered in Sombra's memory. Devour...?

Then he was tackled to the floor as the false him launched its attack. Spikes dug into his back as he impacted the floor and he cried out as a hoof slammed down on the injured wing. The fracture spread, his earlier attempt to patch it up cracking under the pressure....

"I'll tear these things from your body, and with them I’ll be even more unstoppable. I have the pinnacle of dark magic, the darkest heart in Equestria, at my fingertips!"

Sombra wavered, plans to defeat this thing weakening just a fraction. Was he still just a dark-hearted creature? Could all his efforts be in vain, would he always possess a hunger for a fight? For victory above all?

--No, I’m not.--he panicked --I just want to make a life for myself and my ponies!--

But coherent thought was overridden by blinding agony as the thing pinning him grasped the already injured wing and pulled. Searing hot pain stabbed at the base of the wing, and Sombra heard a faint crack. This gave him the clarity to finally think. This thing literally intended to rip him apart, absorb what he was, just to gain power. He couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t expose the Empire, or Equestria at large, to this twisted thing.

The memory the word "devour" had triggered earlier flashed into his head again now. Back at the parade, he'd stopped a rogue spell that’d been intent on devouring anything crystal. It cared not for flesh and blood, or any other material, it'd just wanted magic-imbued crystal. All he had to do was make a few tweaks-

He shut his eyes, hoping the spell would work. Magic tingled through his body, along with a faint flash of pain...

The illusion representing the spell stared, frowning as his captive suddenly chuckled, the vibrations echoing through the wing he had his teeth sunk into.

He found himself abruptly flung back by a blast of air that seemed to generate from nowhere. He smacked into a rocky outcropping of fading blue crystal, crumpling to the floor. He raised his head, and stared. Instead of a full grown adult, he now faced a small child. A little Alicorn foal, its body formed from solid purple crystal.

Sombra blinked as he realised what’d happened. He recalled the spell as being a small critter, but had assumed it could be applied to his larger form. It seemed it couldn’t handle that much power at that size, it needed a smaller form to divert maximum magic into its appetite. His stomach growled, he was so hungry..but not for crystal. He wanted this inviting darkness as a meal.

The representation of the corruption backed up now, scowling in confusion. What was this idiotic creature playing at? What did it hope to achieve?

"So you’ve made yourself a smaller target? It won't save you-"

He cut off as Sombra became a blur that darted at him at rapid speed. He stepped back, stumbling on unsteady legs and felt the small being strike his shoulder. Intense pain blurred his senses and it snarled, flinging the attacker away.

The little foal reappeared hovering in mid-air, licking his lips smugly. The illusion of corruption looked down at itself, and seen this thing had somehow taken a very literal BITE out of it. Inky shadow leaked from the wound...

"First mistake;" the little Sombra spoke "you gave yourself a form, second mistake; you are darkness too. Third;" he grinned "I have defeated those with an appetite for my magic before."

The fake tried to fire, but Sombra was gone again. More sharp pain on his back, and once again the tiny pony was gone by the time the intruder turned round. At that size, that speed, it was like trying to catch the speed of sound. More wounds appeared in its body as Sombra gave in to the spell. Hit after hit while his target roared impotently.

It ditched the solid form and became a bodiless swirling cloud instead. It laughed, seeing Sombra reappear in the air, head cocked to one side.

"Not so easy to sink your teeth into, hm?" it laughed. But the next second its sense of triumph died, as Sombra merely beamed happily.

"Easier!" he almost sang, and flew into the air, little wings outstretched and hooves raised. The spell altered subtly, acting like a magnet, and he began attracting the darkness to him. It was like a gravitational pull...

The intruding darkness tried to resist, to slip away! But there was nowhere to run- he was trapped inside, and the tables were turned. It cut it losses and made a bid for freedom instead, a last desperate act. It tried to break the walls of its prison and had almost succeeded in making a fissure form when Sombra caught it.

As it was attempting to force itself through, Sombra seen what it was doing. He darted over, plunging into the shadows of his opponent. It swirled around him, drawn like shavings to a magnet, thus following as he put his weight into his little wings and tore back from the fissure. He heard It howl in fury, so close...

It hurt, having this much darkness vying for his attention, and the appetite he'd given himself was being driven crazy by this much power to feast on. A faint glow appeared around his body as the corruption was absorbed by the spell, no...devoured by it.

The intruders screams of fury faded to nothing, as the last vestige of its darkness became a part of Sombra. The glow faded and sputtered and finally vanished altogether.

Sombra fell to the floor, whimpering. Black lightning crackled along his body for a few seconds, then mercifully abated. It'd worked...he could feel his own internal magic assimilating it, his Umbrum side neutralizing its spread.

Seconds passed and he felt his magic regrouping, refuelled by the spell he’d woven. He sighed in relief. It WAS a fairly hefty amount of power though, he felt like he'd just consumed a mammoth amount of coffee, he was twitching softly.

But it was done, he could rest a moment. He felt his broken wing heal, which was a good sign.

Sadly, his peace didn’t last long as he heard a cracking sound above his head and looked up. The crack the creature had made was spreading.

"No.." he panicked, bolting to his hooves and pelting over to where it began. He pressed his tiny hooves to the crack, trying to heal it, but his magic was ineffective.

"Tell me how to help you!" he cried.

"You cannot...not from within.." he recognised the Heart's "Voice" from their last meeting. He looked around, but it seemed to be speaking from inside his head.

"That’s right, I’m darkness. A pure heart and a dark heart cannot co-exist.." strangely, he felt tears well up, matching his childlike form.

"Do not fret," the Heart said kindly "that is not why. You CAN fix what has been broken, but if you do it from within, you yourself will be converted to a type of magic your body cannot support. You will be trapped here, permanently. You could...die."

"Regular magic...love's magic?" Sombra was hit with a sudden introspective thought even as panic chilled him to his core "does that mean I’m incapable of love?"

"Not at all. You have plenty of it within you. Some, you have already given to those around you. And I sense there is one who will someday claim its purest form, one to whom you will offer it."

The tiny Sombra blushed a little at the thought. But he nodded, comforted by these words.

"If you remain here when you try to repair the damage, it will likely tear you apart, such will be its intensity." the Heart's voice continued.

"Alright.." Sombra whispered..."so what do I do?"

"You already answered the question. LOVE magic. As I said, you have much of it within you, you just need to bring it to the front. Forget not, you have a little of my power inside you from when I made you immune to my influence. Use it..." her voice was already fading, strength weakening.

Sombra nodded, and looked up at the crack forming in the wall. He could do this!

Then the whole place shuddered abruptly and Sombra was sent tumbling head over hooves a few feet away.

"What-?" he asked, shaking his head dizzily.

"Your protective capsule, it is breaking!" the Heart cried "you used up a lot of your magic switching to that spell, it is falling apart! You must flee!"

Sombra dove for the way out, finding his body passed easily through it.

Everything went white a second, then he was hit with a sudden inertia. Opening his eyes, he seen he was falling down out of the sky, and above him spun the Heart. He reached up for it, clutching it to his much smaller than usual body. He buzzed his wings, but they were too little to do much more then keep him hovering in place. He'd never be able to carry it all that way, and already his wings were being bogged down by the rain...

"Love can fix you.." he gasped as the rain soaked into his body. The devouring spell's influence was gone, reverting him back to his normal Umbrum shades.

--I have the power I got from that thing, it plus my magic...it could be enough...--

Down below, the street was deserted. Soon as the crystal pillar had began to crumble the ponies had fled, not wanting to get hurt. They couldn’t see very well with the heavy rain, thus they missed the tiny grey Alicorn and his struggle..

Sombra shut his eyes, bringing up every good memory he had. From his past, the kindness of the orphanage director, the laughter as she'd taught him that rude song. Then it connected to the memory of singing it to the girls and Discord in the present day. How they’d laughed and smiled at him. Memories began to link, reminding him of both every act of kindness he'd received, but also those that he'd given. Offering homes to lost ponies, teaching a scared colt that his magic was safe. Giving a feather to the little filly. Small things and big things. And the love reserved for those special ones, family, friends and more...

The Heart shone so blindingly bright he could barely stand it. It shook in his grasp, and he seen the crack repair itself, fading away to become the flawless undamaged Heart once more.

Like a magnet, he felt it tug towards the place where it resided. He let go, seeing it shoot away with a near sonic boom of blue magic. He tried to right himself in its wake, but didn’t manage it in time. He slammed into the side of a building, the shock winding him and he hit the ground, rolling over into a ball until finally coming to a stop. He winced, feeling one wing sprain…

The ponies who’d retreated to their doorways to await the next development seen the blue blast and chased after it en-masse. Although one mare thought she seen something and slipped away, running back. Squinting in the rain, she spotted a tiny, injured form curled up on the ground. She looked closer and stared, it count be?

But there was no denying it. It was a tiny crystal Alicorn, in shades of grey, with black mane. A familiar sight indeed.

"Hay, can you hear me?" she asked in concern. Was he badly hurt?

The tiny King stirred, and at last opened his eyes. She sighed in relief, thank goodness!

"Did...it work?" he croaked.

"The Heart? Yes, its gone home now, everypony's gone after it. Was that you doing all that?" she asked. He nodded, staggering to his tiny hooves.

"I had to shrink my form to access the spell I wanted, it required...a lot..."

"When did you get here?" she asked, puzzled. Surely a visit from the Umbrum King would’ve been announced?

"I came on unofficial business," Sombra smiled faintly "earlier today. I had been having nightmares about the heart. Thinking back now, I think they were more like-"

"Visions..?" she suggested. Sombra nodded.

"Are you hurt?" she asked. He shivered, limping a little as he stepped forward.

"A few bruises, but I’m alright. Umbrum crystal is quite hardy."

"How come you're..." she giggled helplessly "so tiny?"

Seeing the slightly withering look Sombra gave her, she giggled even more "I’m sorry, but you are adorable your highness!" the sight of the teeny tiny Alicorn was just too much.

"Cant say I’ve been called that before," the slightly embarrassed King blustered, going even redder, which just amped up the cute factor "this was not my intent!"

"Sorry your highness, cute things are my weakness. Just ask my kids..." she chuckled.

"I need to get to the palace." Sombra recalled Cadance and the others "the Heart, I have to check it is alright!"

The mare nodded and scooped him up. She held him in one foreleg as she ran full pelt towards the gathering crowds. They stepped aside, some frowning at her as she pushed towards the front, then they seen she carried a tiny Alicorn. She set him down at the front of the crowd and he smiled gratefully. Silence reigned along with some quiet "d'awws" amongst the crowd as they realised this was essentially a child Sombra. And he was adorable.

Sombra padded over to the Crystal Heart, wide red eyes full of concern.

"Why isn't it spinning?" he asked.

The Heart seemed drained, like there wasn’t any energy in it. It was repaired, the damage gone and the darkness' corruption was gone. Yet it remained immobile, had his magic not been enough? He began to panic...

Then the royals, plus Corona and Morloc arrived on scene.

"What’s going....on?" Shining Armor trailed off as he spotted the minute Sombra, and barely suppressed a giggle. Corona did a double take, peering down at the little stallion.

"Your majesty?" he asked, baffled. Sombra heaved a big sigh, for a tiny pony.

"In order to wipe out that spell that took over the heart, I had to use a spell I learnt some time ago here in the Empire. But, it could not be applied to a full grown pony, so it altered my form."

"Does that mean you’re stuck that way?" Cadance asked.

Sombra winced "I am not sure, right now I do not have a lot of magic. It has been drained twice in succession. Once to execute that spell, and another to fix the Heart."

"How did you get it back? Where’s the dark spell?" Shining's mind was abuzz.

"It is gone, I dismantled it and absorbed its power myself," He shuddered "it was not a sensation I relished, I feel I must emphasize."

"How did you keep the heart intact?" Cadance queried. Sombra smiled softly.

"It needed love magic. Normally that is what the ponies here give it, and i do not possess that type of magic. But, by converting some particularly powerful memories, combined with the immunity pattern granted by the Heart back when it last encountered me, I was able to..what’s the term, improvise? Seems it was enough to fix the damage at least."

Silence reigned.

"Wow." Shining said, Cadance stared in amazement.

"I didn’t understand a word of that, but, who cares!" Corona declared "you pulled it off, your majesty!"

The crowds took this in and cheered. The Heart was fixed and they had Sombra to thank, that was all they needed.

"Hee hee, he’s so tiny." Shining Armor snickered as the applause died down and a flushed Sombra turned back to face them.

Cadance tried not to giggle, but she couldn't help herself "who knew he’d be so adorable?"

"Laugh all you wish, if you must!" Sombra complained loudly, going very red.

"Can I at least take a picture?" Shining Armor sniggered.

"Not unless you want the camera stored somewhere entirely inappropriate!" Sombra shot back, one eyebrow raised in amusement. Shining snorted loudly as the joke sunk in.

Cadance was biting her lip so as not to completely bust a gut laughing, but Corona had no such scruples. He happily laughed his ass off, and had to make himself stop giggling. Even as Sombra hovered on his eye level and glowered.

“S-sorry your majesty...” The Gargoyle giggled “but that’d be my response also! Maybe I’m a bad influence.”

“You and Discord do share that crime.” Sombra grumbled good naturedly.

Shining Armor finally stopped giggling to himself, and resolved to never forget this particular memory if he couldn’t take a photo!

"The Heart?" Sombra drew attention back to the problem at hoof. He flew back to stand at its base, wondering if there was something he'd missed?

"Oh, that's easy to fix!" Cadance smiled and looked over at the crowd "together, everypony!"

The crystal ponies cheered, even amidst the rain and thunder. They bowed deeply, and the ground began to glow. Sombra, who was sat close by the Heart, fidgeted nervously as the glow intensified. Even though he knew he was technically immune to it, this was the first time he'd gotten this close to it while it was in USE. But he had to trust the Heart. Thus he closed his eyes and felt his nose bump the ground as he joined the others. The ground beneath him shone blindingly, becoming so intense he needed to close his eyes...

With a colossal boom, the Heart fired its signature magic into the sky, colourful streamers of light blasting the rain-clouds apart, clearing the sky.

Sunshine filtered through as the air calmed, everypony opening their eyes. Delighted murmurs and cooing curiosity rebounded around the massed gathering. Cadance looked at shining, and stared.

"Wow.." she marvelled, for he resembled an Umbrum! Crystal body, with an opalescent white colour at his core, the same style was applied to his mane, with an angular pattern on the blue highlights. "You look like the Umbrum do.."

"So do you!" Shining Armor marvelled at how stunning a crystal Cadance was, her coat glittering. She blushed happily as he nuzzled her cheek.

The last of the light faded, and Sombra waited a few seconds for his head to clear…

“Oww...” he groaned initially, as the world went fuzzy while he adjusted to opening his eyes again.

"Sombra-?" Corona blurted, and he, Cadance and Shining Armor darted round to check he was alright. The crowd were making curious and admiring noises, and they soon seen why.

Sombra was back to his full adult form, to their relief. But several things were different. For one, he resembled his "normal" form, with grey coat and flowing shadow mane. Next, he had a crystal pony’s coat pattern, even down to his eyes. Last but not least was his clothing.

He was wearing a cloak made of purple fabric, which pinned at his left shoulder, falling at a stylish angle. On his hooves were stylised shoes made of a bluish metal. The pattern of them was reminiscent of the curled pattern on the pillar that had held up the sealed Heart earlier. Beneath the collar of the new cloak, Cadance seen a slim silver neckband with a pearly crystal at the front. It reminded her of the oath band Celestia had given Sombra. She'd seen him wearing it after he'd been awoken from crystal stasis. Finishing it off was a headband in place of where a crown would normally balance, and there were subtle stripes of light black and grey shades in his mane.

Sombra looked at himself, taking in the return to his proper height.

"Check it out," Shining Armor said in surprise "the heart pulled a switcheroo!"

"How do you mean?" Sombra asked.

Cadance nodded to the nearest polished wall of the palace "take a look!"

Sombra looked over and seen he looked like a crystal pony. He blinked, surprised by how different it looked on him.

"Wow, so this what it is like!" he chuckled in amazement "it has never been safe for me to be around the hearts magic before."

He looked at his Crystal pony self. Old emotions welled up, and he felt a pang of nostalgia.

“I've dreamt so long of finally seeing this.” he murmured to himself. Those close enough to hear it connected this with the story they knew of him. He'd longed to see the Heart, but its corrosive influence on him as a child had prevented this childhood dream ever coming true.

They caught his eyes now and grinned, congratulating him on a dream coming true! This kindness touched the Umbrum's heart, and he smiled a warm, content smile. Corona seen it and sighed in relief to see his majesty looking happier.

Cadance and Shining Armor stepped up to check the heart, and Sombra realised they now looked like Umbrum's. All the ponies did! In his daze, he hadn’t registered the change.

"How..?" he asked.

Corona appeared beside him, looking quite shimmery, with his coat type. He grinned at his boss.

"Beats me how, sire, but the heart seems to have granted both you and everyone else a little glimpse of your respective looks!"

Sombra winced guiltily, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He began pacing nervously, trying to work out how to say it;

"I..I'm sorry about this. It must have been a side effect of my magic-" he faced the crowds closest to him as he spoke, looking concerned and apologetic "This is not how it is supposed to look-"

"Oh, fiddle-faddle, don’t fret!" One older mare grinned at the King, the wrinkles around her eyes giving her a kindly look "Its alright for things to change! And don't you look handsome as one of us~" she gave him a good humoured wink, and Sombra flushed slightly, seeing other mares nodding in agreement.

"Yeah! We look awesome!" another crystal pony piped up.

Sombra was about to thank them for their understanding when he heard Corona's voice barking sharply at somepony-

“Hold it right there!”

Sombra spun round, wings raised in alarm and seen the Captain was blocking the Centaur, Morloc, from slipping away.

“The threats been fixed, but you're not off the hook. I have orders in standing from King Vorak to bring you in, and no doubt their royal highnesses have more than a few questions for you!”

Morloc tried to stammer out a plea to be let go, but he could see the fury and disappointment in Corona's eyes. He looked past the Gargoyle, and seen Sombra standing stock still. He radiated a suppressed tension, wings puffed up like a bird of prey ready to scare a predator away. The hurt in the stallion's expression was the overload of guilt that finally made him wise up.

He relaxed, nodding to Corona as the crowd began babbling to themselves. Did this being have something to do with the Hearts problems? Why was King Sombra so agitated? Those closest could see powerful muscles twitching under his soft grey coat, as if he was suddenly a live wire of energy, and he seemed upset.

“You guys got room?” Corona asked Cadance. She nodded, and summoned a guard to lead Corona and his prisoner.

“Will you be alright with joining me to ask some questions, your Majesty?” the Gargoyle asked as Sombra walked over. Sombra nodded wordlessly.

He waited in that same spot until Corona returned, saying the prisoner was being guarded by the Crystal pony guards. Sombra finally felt able to relax...

“Nothing to worry about, just a prior offence!” Corona said to the crowd “I was given an arrest warrant by King Vorak, with orders to enact it should I find the subject in question.”

The crowds nodded, accepting this and speculating what the warrant had been about? Sombra felt vastly calmer and was even able to relax and smile to the crowds.

Mid smile, Sombra heard a camera flash and looked round. Shining Armor lowered the camera.

“You didn’t say anything about no photos when you weren't teeny tiny! Also, I thought it'd make a good memory.” he grinned cheekily and added “please don’t shove the camera up somewhere unsuitable.”

“Rest assured, your camera will remain outside of you.” the Umbrum snorted, unable to keep from laughing. Shining Armor grinned back, and Sombra knew he wouldn’t forget this day any time soon! He rather liked this Crystal pony look...

As if reading his mind, a new voice spoke from the front of the crowd.

"This is simply sublime~" a fancily dressed stallion with a blue mane and moustache stepped up to the King.

"Fancy Pants, your highness" he declared in a booming voice, bowing grandly while the befuddled Alicorn blinked at him.

"We didn't know you were here!" Fancy Pants continued "You see, I came here with my fiancé Fleur' to do a photo-shoot for her latest magazine special!" he nodded to a stunningly pretty pony with pale pink mane who was standing beside him.

Fleur smiled at Sombra "This style is simply wonderful, your majesty. We're finishing the shoot this afternoon and this will give it an edge that’ll blow the other publications out of the water! Would you be adverse to giving the magazine an interview? I know they’d simply DIE to have your opinion in print!"

"Really?" Sombra was slightly puzzled. What did he have to say that’d be needed by a magazine? Fancy Pants chuckled at his expression.

"Society Magazines, my good stallion! Why, they LOVE an exclusive, and it doesn’t get much more exclusive than the mystery ruler of the Umbrum's! Don’t you read them?"

"I’m living at a building site right now," Sombra smiled apologetically "I am afraid we are a little cut off from the city news."

"Well then you should join us for lunch! We can catch you up on everything." Fleur preened. She hoped Sombra would agree. The magazine would be thrilled for an interview with this reclusive King. Little was TRULY known about him, his personality and hobbies for example! Plus that getup he now wore was gorgeous, and she thought it a crime that it could go unpublished!

Sombra was a little hesitant, but he realised he was still hiding to a degree. Discord had warned him about doing this, saying he needed to stop hiding and let the rest of Equestria see the real him. It was with this in mind that he nodded at last. Fleur made a gleeful noise, and Fancy Pants thanked the stallion.

Sombra looked back at Cadance and Shining Armor, wondering if they needed him for anything?

"Go," Cadance beamed "we can talk over dinner!"

Sombra thanked them and with Corona in tow, set off after the two new ponies. Any injury he'd sustained had been healed by the power he'd absorbed, so he was in fine health. Pretty hungry though, now he thought about food..

"And a Gargoyle too?" Fleur's eyes lit up "I’ve never met one before!"

"Names Corona, I’m his Majesty’s personal guard for today, also overseer of the Gargoyle/Centaur platoon assigned to King Sombra."

"A whole platoon! My my, this is unprecedented!" Fancy Pants was amazed. Gargoyles and Centaurs were VERY rare, few had ever been seen. They were quiet secular by nature, very self reliant. How had Sombra come to be in possession of a whole squad of them? The papers had spoken of the battle of Canterlot, and he and Fleur both knew every bit of gossip surrounding this King. But that’s all it was, gossip and speculation. This was a chance to get the truth about Sombra. He was notorious for being very tightly guarded, he'd never consented to any interview before.

Fancy and Fleur filled Sombra and Corona in on the broad spectrum of societal news, and his part in it. Sombra seemed very surprised and highly startled, they noted, when they explained how most magazines were champing at the bit for news about him, but it'd been sparse since he'd left the Crystal Empire.

"And you say you’re at a building site now?" Fancy Pants asked.

Sombra nodded "Yes, I made the decision to live and work there. I felt restless just sitting around the Crystal Empire's palace, I wanted more to do."

"I imagine that sort of work would wreak havoc on your coat!" Fleur mused "yet it looks so sleek?"

"Ah, yes, I have aides and a liaison who ensure i look after myself, as I oft forget when I have a heavy workload!" Sombra smiled, thinking about Excel and the two aides.

“It's true, he horrifies said aides by wandering around up to his flank in cement and plaster dust!” Corona chuckled, recalling their reactions.

"How exciting!" Fancy Pants declared, and Fleur nodded "royalty putting crown and pomp aside to work alongside the populace, the public will just LOVE this!"

Sombra was starting to feel a little lost now. Seeing this, Corona spoke up;

"Just what angle is this magazine looking for? I can safely say his majesty prefers the reality not to be too...embellished. I've seen enough papers in my lifetime to know how “flight of fancy” these opportunities can get."

“Oh, don’t worry!" Fancy Pants said, not wishing to offend the King and discourage him "something on this level, we wouldn't dream of meddling with it! It’ll be a big draw based on you alone!" he nodded to the King.

“We do ask though, if at all possible your majesty, if we could make it...exclusive?” Fancy Pants broached. Sombra frowned.

“Meaning what?” he asked. Fancy Pants hurriedly reassured the King, praying he hadn't just botched it. Insulting his majesty was a sure fire way to getting in trouble!

“Oh not much, just that you save all the details solely for this shoot! Its a big bit-grabber having an exclusive, with royalty and the prestige is through the roof!”

Sombra was starting to recall why he never read those papers. Such pomp and showing off, it baffled him. He caught Corona's eye, who shrugged and rolled his eyes slightly in agreement.

“That is no cause for concern, I have no intentions of talking all day to every news-pony in town I'll have you know!” the King huffed, managing to sound slightly offended by accident. Fancy and Fleur nodded eagerly, thanking him repeatedly whilst sighing silently inside. They thought for sure they'd just scared him off!

--I begin to regret this..-- Sombra thought. This kind of society nonsense felt so...overblown to him. But he knew from Rarity that these magazines had an enormous audience, easily rivalling that of a newspaper and then some!

“You really need to be less….reclusive...” Discord had shrugged during one of their talks “everywhere I go I see newspapers just grabbing at straws for details about you! You never know, it might help your building project if you get the attention of some rich investors?”

“I’m not sure...” Sombra had sighed. Discord scratched behind the pony's ear and added “if nothing else, it’ll be good practise for politics?”

Back to the present moment, Fleur announced they were at the restaurant. Sombra stared at it, this was one of the fanciest-looking places he'd ever seen!

The staff at the door did double takes but quickly recovered, greeting this surprise guest with the highest respect. By now everypony had either heard or guessed what’d happened with the heart, and many a curious pony took in how the former tyrant looked as a Crystal pony.

The four of them were shown to what Corona deduced was a prime table, and he seen curious and even envious glances being directed at them by other patrons as the group walked by.

The food was, of course, delicious. Sombra and his guard were duly given the most up to date list of scandals and news, most of which flew right over Sombra's head. He did not know who these ponies were, why should he be so shocked at their antics? But he kept a pleasant smile on his face, conversing with them as best he understood.

With food over, and a head full of somewhat pointless information, Sombra wandered with them to the magazine headquarters. Soon as they entered the bustling lobby, all eyes were drawn to the tall Alicorn and his crystal pony style.

More double takes and curious noises followed and Sombra tried telling them there was no need to worry, he didn’t mean to interrupt. They crowded close as they could before he'd even finished his sentence and they followed after him as long as they could before Corona politely motioned them to back up.

“Glamour Dust!” Fleur called as she swanned in “I’m back, and I brought somepony you simply MUST meet!”

“Fleur, darling, were on a schedule here. We don’t have time to entertain a-” she turned round, and nearly dropped her camera “...King..”

She shot over, camera in hoof, darting this way and that around the bemused Sombra as she spoke.

“Oh my! That outfit, you simply cannot leave without telling me who made it! And goodness those wings are just as impressive in reality as I thought!” She stared intently at said wing “with just the right light-”

“Glamour!” Fleur coughed.

“Oh my!” she gathered herself somewhat “I do apologise your majesty! This is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you in the flesh. You’re quite a scarcity in news circles..”

“So I have been informed.” Sombra said, unsure how to react to her. Even now she was eyeing him, then looking at her camera.

“His majesty has graciously consented to our conducting an interview!” Fancy Pants told her, and her eyes lit up.

“Well why didn't you say so?!”

“You were too busy being starstruck~” Fluer teased. Glamour blushed, self consciously patting her mane with one hoof.

“Can you blame me darling? Royalty walks in, what am I supposed to do? I'll go grab FrontPage, he'll record it all! I don’t suppose I could tempt you into letting me take a few photos, your majesty? That outfit, and the crystal theme, it just screams photo-shoot!”

She caught sight of the bemused Gargoyle hovering at the King's side, and was equally fascinated.

“Your coat is gorgeous, it shines perfectly!” she enthused, looking hopefully between the two.

They shared glances, and Corona shrugged in a manner that said “eh, why not?”

Feeling utterly bewildered, Sombra did eventually give in. But seeing how blatantly uncomfortable he looked, staring at the fancy backdrops and lights, Glamour Dust suggested they do the shots outside, maybe at the crystal lake?

This was duly scheduled for later, and the excited photographer raced away to grab the reporter.

“How badly are you regretting this, sire?” Corona joked under his breath to his King.

“An unquantifiable amount.” Sombra whispered back, and they shared a brief chuckle.

“This is far out of my league, I regret to say..” Sombra said absently, as they awaited the reporter.

“Eh, it'll probably prepare you for when the empire is ready. You’ll be in a much brighter spotlight then.” Corona said sagely.

“So I have been told. I guess it is easy to forget, working on the site, after all.” Sombra mused.

There was a skidding sound and a clatter at the door. Sombra looked up in time to see a pony, bogged down with notebooks, a camera and some light stands, trip quite spectacularly.

Sombra reacted quickly, grabbing the pony in his magic, and stopping the equipment just before it hit the floor.

“Oh sweet Celestia..” the reporter wheezed as Corona flew over and took the dropped items, setting them down beside an alarmed Fleur and Fancy Pants.

“Are you alright?” Sombra asked, frowning in concern as he set the pony down, steady him with an out-held hoof. “Who thought it a bright idea to put you under that much strain?”

“My boss..” the reporter groaned, thanking the King for his help.

“Hmph, maybe I should speak with her?” Sombra frowned, it bugged him.

“Oh no, there's no need for that your majesty! Please...” the pony babbled, not wanting to cause him any trouble.

Sombra let it go, and returned to the seat where his guard waited.

What followed was a long interview, with a lot of questions. Some he expected, such as updates on the work so far, and how many ponies and other beings were on site now.

When the questions moved onto his personal life, such as asking if he had a special somepony, Sombra got visibly annoyed. Corona seen the wings fluff up, and gave a minute shake of the head to the nervous reporter, who nodded and dismissed the question.

But FrontPage was glad to see Sombra didn’t mind answering questions about hobbies and such things. He was fairly startled when the King informed him he could play the harp!

“Where did you learn that?” he asked the Alicorn. Sombra smiled softly.

“There was a music room at the orphanage. The director taught me some simple pieces. Sometimes, when I wanted to be away from the bustle and noise, I would go into the music room and study the sheet music.”

“How elegant!” Fleur said, clapping her hooves.

“You know, there's a harp that was recovered from the village you helped evac, I bet they could fix it up for you? I think its an heirloom or something.” Corona pointed out.

Sombra hadn’t known about this and looked intrigued at the idea. Could he still remember?

Other interests he spoke of related to reading, and of course studying magic. Especially his own, as his dark and Umbrum magics were quite similar in the way they operated.

He displayed his crystal-creating abilities by weaving sculptures seemingly out of thin air. He produced one of Cadance and Shining and everypony assembled applauded. FrontPage took copious notes, and Glamour went through quite a few rolls of film getting casual shots of the interview and the demonstration of magic!

When Sombra made to disassemble the sculpture, Glamour begged him to let her keep it. Sombra was surprised, but happily gave it to her, making her grin in glee!

After so many questions Sombra figured it'd keep the populace occupied for weeks, it was on to the lake. Fleur and Glamour bustled around him, angling and moving his wings, getting him to sit on this rock, or by the lakes shore…

One of the most stunning shots Glamour got was by accident. A breeze had picked up, tugging at Sombra's mane, making it frame his face just perfectly. The photo was taken just as Sombra raised a hoof to tuck it back behind his ears, gaze focused in the distance.

“So melancholy yet so poised!” Glamour sighed “its perfect. It shows the calm, steady hoof you will undoubtedly rule with, yet there's an element of uncertainty there too...”

“All I see is my mane escaping...” Sombra muttered softly to Corona, who fought not to laugh.

Not that the giggling Gargoyle got off scot-free. He accompanied the King to get a drink, and as they were walking back, Glamour snuck a few casual shots. She got a nice one of the two of them in friendly conversation, which showed a whole myriad of things about them apparently, that neither Sombra nor Corona understood.

All the staff involved thanked the King and Gargoyle repeatedly as they made to leave. Fleur and Fancy Pants expressed their gratitude for his willingness to speak with them and their magazine! This was the scoop of the year~

“Captain?” Sombra asked, as they walked back towards the palace.

“Yes, sire?”

“Remind me never to read one of those magazines. I fear my head is full of nothing but nonsense! I would rather read a textbook with practical information then hear about somepony's fashion slip up!” the stallion snorted, shaking his head.

“You and me both your majesty, you and me both...” Corona rolled his eyes “Not my bag, at all!”

“Still, if it helps me learn to deal with bigger scenarios down the road, I should not mock it.” Sombra added, feeling a little guilty. “For all its pointlessness to myself personally, it seems such publications provide an escapism for many ponies!”

“Reading about the rich and famous is as close as being them.” Corona summed up, and the King nodded sagely.

“The knowledge that money and standing are no barrier to occasions of idiocy undoubtedly makes them celebrity ponies feel more real.” the monarch continued.

“Stupidity knows no bounds.” Corona translated, and Sombra couldn’t help an amused laugh. Corona was like Discord, he managed to translate Sombra's long winded speeches into less words. Or funny ones anyway.

He told the tale of the unexpected publicity at dinner, and Cadance remarked she'd read those magazines, and done shoots for them too. Usually modelling and/or interviews about politics. Shining Armor would sometimes join her, but he pulled a face when Sombra glanced at him.

--Ah, he is none too fond of them either..-- Sombra surmised, nodding subtly at him.

Corona said he was going to get an early night, and thus left Sombra alone to talk with Cadance and Shining Armor.

“The Captain mentioned you were having nightmares, and sleepwalking.” Cadance got to the point. Sombra sighed heavily.

“The recent dreams I think I can attribute to what happened today. They all centred around the Heart..”

“You too..” Cadance murmured, and Sombra looked surprised.

“She’s been having vague flashes of the heart the last few days,” Shining Armor explained “we were just starting to think we'd missed a festival for it or something when things escalated, and you know the rest.”

Sombra nodded.

“But the sleepwalking?” Cadance pressed. Sombra winced guiltily.

“It's getting worse, it-” he sighed “I don’t know if Corona mentioned it, but he had to yell at me to stop me before I injured myself on the equipment. All this time I thought I was sneaking back to bed with nopony knowing, he's had the guard tailing me to ensure I don’t injure myself. Mayhap they thought I would grow out of it eventually. But, its increasing. Not just frequency, but- the depth of the dreams.”

“You mean you're not waking as easy?” Shining guessed and Sombra nodded.

“Corona mentioned it did come very close, he even had to pull me back by my wings to stop me one time. Didn’t even feel it. It is concerning...”

“Sounds worrying,” Cadance couldn’t blame him for looking exhausted “are you dreaming anything in particular?”

“No,” Sombra shook his head “at least nothing I wake up able to recall. I have no desire to injure myself badly, so this needs to stop.”

“I stopped by Lavender Remedy's place before you arrived, she said to stop by whenever you’re ready, she'll do what she can to hep.” Cadance informed him.

Sombra nodded, sighing in relief. He thanked them both, and retired to bed.

“I'm worried he's pushing himself too hard.” Cadance said once the King was gone. Shining Armor nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I reward Girder's reports. From the sounds of it, Sombra's pushing himself to be a one pony powerhouse. It's admirable the amount he's gotten done, and I get it cant be easy helping with the sudden influx of refugees. They’re looking to him for help and guidance as well as his own Umbrum's.”

Cadance nodded at her husband “maybe its repressed stress? Girder said he rarely seems to show any real distress, aside from the odd dizzy fit.”

“His brain clearly wants to keep working, so it wakes him up?” Shining Armor shrugged.

“Stranger things have caused sleepwalking, according to Lavender.” Cadance replied.

The next morning, when informed of Sombra's plans for the day, Corona asked was his majesty sure he didn’t need him for today? Not that he minded having the day off, he just wanted to make sure.

“I will be spending most of it at the therapists office,” Sombra smiled “i hope we can find an answer to why its getting worse, so that I might sleep in peace.”

“Good luck sire,” Corona said simply “take it easy.”

“Of course,” Sombra smiled, then set off towards the waiting carriage.

It delivered him direct to the therapists door, and he stood there a moment before pushing the door open with his hoof. The bell hung over the door jangled merrily as he glanced around the cosy looking reception.

“Just a moment-oh, your majesty!” The voice was warm, kind. Sombra looked over at her. She was a middle-aged mare, with pale purple coat and white mane, and a sprig of lavender was her cutie mark. She stepped around the desk to greet him.

“Welcome, it's an honor to meet you! I'm Lavender Remedy.” she had a soothing, relaxing voice, and her friendly demeanour worked to help even the tensest of patients relax. She ushered the Alicorn into the room that joined onto the reception.

Sombra settled himself on his stomach atop the big plush couch, while Lavender sat herself in a well loved old armchair that had been in her family for years.

“I have treated many a pony for sleep disorders, your case is not uncommon, your majesty.” she assured him “I just need to know as much about your sleepwalking habits as you can provide.”

Sombra nodded, took a deep breath and began his tale.

Lavender's eyebrows rose slightly when Sombra gave her the whole story. The bits about Corona having to physically manhandle his wings to steer him away from a fenced off trench. The "yelling to wake him" thing got a mention also.

“Not the best method, but if he was worried about your safety, I can understand his method. Ideally you shouldn’t waken a sleepwalker, it could send them into shock.”

“I see..” Sombra mused.

“You say you cannot remember your dreams? I know this sounds absurd, but I think if we try an exercise, we can whittle it down. I’m going to talk you through it.”

She got him to close his eyes, follow some deep breathing exercises, and began to talk him through what had been going through his mind during the days. Anything and everything he could remember...

When she queried him mentioning getting too close to a cave, his eyes snapped open, and the look he flashed her was laden with fear.

“Perhaps this cave?” she asked “you seem very shaken.”

“It's..” Sombra's throat went dry, and he cut off. A low rumble could be heard and she noted just how uneasy he truly was about the subject. Once he'd relaxed, she pressed on.

“I understand its hard, your majesty, but in order to get to the bottom of this, I need to ask why the cave-”

“-I was kept prisoner, chained up and starved...in a cave.” Sombra choked out at last. Lavender felt a deep sympathy for him. The various papers and magazines had brushed over the subject, most just mentioning Sombra had been held prisoner for a long time. Clearly the truth was far worse.

Her face went even whiter as she coaxed the details from him. The torture, Sombra tried to gloss over as much as possible, limiting it to base descriptions. But she got the gist of it, and it sounded barbaric.

Yet there was something off about the way he processed it. Something written in the way he seemed to almost mechanically process his emotions, as if they needed to stay.

So she decided to try something. A basic statement, but his response would tell her a lot.

“Nopony should endure that, for any reason.” she said softly. Sombra winced subtly, before nodding.

“Why do you think that is wrong?” she asked abruptly. Sombra flinched visibly as if he'd been hit.

“W-what..?” he stammered, panic rising. Surely she couldn’t have said, couldn’t have SEEN-

One look at her told him she HAD noticed his guilt. He glanced away, looking at the stylised shoes on his hooves, the ones given by the Crystal Heart.

“Your majesty,” she said firmly “this is very important. You have connections, ties, to these memories that are causing you pain. The chains were around your neck weren’t they? That's why you’re scratching your neck, isn’t it?”

Sombra jolted and quickly clamped the forehoof rubbing at his neck under the other one, pinning it to the couch. His heart was going a mile a minute, panic surging to the fore. This was bad..

Lavender nodded to herself. This confirmed her suspicions. He was triggering this himself.

“Do you believe you deserved that pain in some way, your majesty?" She said, getting to the point. The look of guilt on his face, the way he couldn't speak, only nod, confirmed it.

“Why?” she asked. Sombra shook his head, still unable to voice it. So many things vied for his attention. Why WAS he still punishing himself? The ponies at the site had told him he didn’t need to use guilt to keep himself in line, hadn’t they? He'd gotten his cutie mark that day…

“Taking in what I know about your history, my gut feeling is you cannot fully, deep down, accept that you did not deserve that torture. It had nothing to do with past crimes, it was a madman's plan. You did not attack your captors family or commit a crime against them. You were innocent in this. I think you are substituting it for the punishment you expected the Empire to give you.”

Sombra closed his eyes, guilt kicking at his ribcage “I expected the Prince and Princess to lock me up once they seen me alive again. I wouldn't have blamed them. At the beginning, I couldn’t understand how they could treat me so...kindly. I thought it was just Celestia, negotiating so she could keep a promise she made to me.”

Lavender smiled gently, and shook her head to indicate there was more to it than that.

“I was at the first announcement they made, when they spoke of Canterlot. About how you defended them, despite being so gravely injured. You chose trying to say you were sorry over healing yourself. That took a lot of courage, your majesty. You have shown admirable honesty throughout this whole process. You spoke so honestly to the stadium the day your Umbrum asked us to help you accept your crown. But I seen a lot of residual suffering still rooted deep inside.”

“Am I that obvious?” Sombra tried to joke. To his surprise, she shook her head.

“The opposite in fact, to the untrained eye at least. You hide things very well.”

“Girder does keep saying I have an impressive poker face. Whatever that refers to. I have been meaning to ask him...”

Lavender chuckled “Poker is a game that requires immense skill in hiding what cards are in your hand. Its a game of misdirection in some ways. You aim to psych out your opponent, get them to fold so the money is yours.”

A nod from the King.

“You misdirect everypony's concern, make out as if you're all under control. I think you suffer from what’s known as survivors guilt. You feel as if by surviving, you did something wrong. Add in your expectations of punishment not being met, and some wires have become crossed.”

“Then...you don’t think they should have wanted vengeance of some kind?” Sombra asked. Lavender shook her head.

“You did commit some dangerous actions in the past. But you defended our Prince and Princess when you could have taken them down had that malice still been alive inside. You made the first step, the apology. You deferred the right to be their ruler to the Umbrum's, so they could judge your past. I’ve read every paper I could, to understand what happened. Everypony has. The Princess ensured what they printed was as forthright as you'd been with them. She felt you were owed that. Did you never read them?”

“Only one...the day of the parade.” Sombra admitted.

Lavender smiled “Yes, that was a big moment for you, wasn't it? You came outside to see us all, and you offered them help after seeing their dismay.”

“They didn’t deserve to bear the punishment for that spells attack-” Something occured in Sombra's head, and he stopped suddenly. It was so obvious now...

“Neither, did you.” Lavender said softly, seeing it'd clicked. “You didn’t deserve it, because you did not give in to him willingly. The crystal ponies chose to give you a second chance, and you have not failed them, your majesty.”

“I...you’re right.” Sombra felt about to collapse with relief. He drew in a deep breath and looked over at her. She was smiling encouragingly, like she was proud of him.

“So please, I ask that you leave that nasty guilt in the past, let it go. You’ve done amazing work in proving to us all you’re more than you were before. I for one admire your efforts.”

“I must seem crazy, still clinging to this even now..” Sombra forced a laugh, but it soon trailed off. Lavender shook her head.

“Not so, your majesty. Trauma is a nasty guest, one that cannot be evicted easily. It takes time to heal such scars, and the reactions you're experiencing aren’t uncommon. But what we can do, is close off where it has sway, bit by bit until you are able to fully relax.”

She made Sombra some tea while they took a break….

Once he'd had some time to relax, she continued.

“I believe we've made some amazing progress in this last hour alone. But we have one more step, find out why you’re sleepwalking. I think your lingering guilt plays a part, but it is small. Something else is at play. Have you been near a cave since then?”

“Yes, I have.” Sombra sighed and explained the two incidents involving the on-site cave. The first where he'd fled the scene and thrown up, and the second time, where he'd saved that stallion...then run off and thrown up. Then the meeting with the Zebras. That one had been exhausting, but mercifully no throwing up. He hadn’t been able to sleep though...

“They all ended in me being sick,” he winced “or wearing myself out.”

“May I ask...did the sleepwalking start before or after this first occurrence? Give it some serious thought.”

Sombra did just that, and the realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks. He'd never considered it might be a case of cause and effect...

“It was after..” he said, almost giddily. She nodded encouragingly again.

“I think we have our answer. The cave is a symbol of your deepest, most primal fear. The darkness, the sense of being compressed. And being held captive, most of all.”

Sombra nodded “I cant stand it, the knowledge nopony could hear me under so much rock.”

He shuddered, wings trying to envelop him again. He made a flustered noise, batting at them to make them settle.

“Is that normal?” Lavender asked, blinking.

“I swear they have an innate connection to my emotions, Ms Lavender. They do that when I’m scared. They go full pomf when anypony startles me, they seem to react to my emotional state.”

“That’s amazing, I’ve never seen wings so responsive. But it tallies with what we're discussing. Your fear is in that cave, therefore ANY cave. I wonder, do you have a map of the work site?”

“Yes, in my memory anyway..” Sombra used his magic to create a 3D map on the table between them.

“Do you remember the places you woke up?” was Lavender's next question.

Sombra paused, thought awhile, then began placing markers in all the spots he could recall waking, or where Corona had followed him. He stared at the scatter of pins.

“This is the most recent one,” he pointed a hoof at the pin denoting where Corona had found him just days prior. “It is the closest of all.”

“Where is the cave?” she asked. Sombra added it's pin to the map and they stared at the evidence in front of their faces. It was clear as day, the sleepwalking pins were meandering slowly but steadily towards the cave, more often than not.

“Do you know what this means?” Lavender asked him.

“I'm trying to go back?” Sombra choked out “why?”

“Because you want to face your fear, but your waking mind doesn’t feel ready, so its excising control over your subconscious.”

“How do I make it stop?” Sombra asked, but she could see he already anticipated the answer.

“You need to do this properly. Face your fear once and for all, but under the right conditions.”

“I don’t know how.” Sombra said, at a loss after several moments pondering “I tried going in there before. It didn’t work...”

“That is because every time so far, it has been for other reasons. The first was your work, the second, to save another. The third, to offer a hoof to the Zebras in need. You've never done it for yourself. You’re the one who deserves the closure, and needs it. When you face it, it must be for YOU.”

“I see.” Sombra nodded, but felt his stomach sink at the thought.

“You don’t have to be alone, is there somepony you can trust to go with you, that can give you that confidence without taking the reins away from you.”

One name popped to mind straight away, and Sombra nodded.

“Then, I want you to write a letter with me. We're going to invite your friend to help you with this.”

As Sombra wrote, Lavender studied how much a weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders. He looked happier. Recovering from things like this wasn’t easy, and it could be that events in the future could trigger a relapse. But for now, he was making progress.

When he'd finished, having written Discord's name on the envelope and mailed it off with the special spell, she suggested they have another session in two weeks to see how he was doing.

She walked him to the door, where he thanked her profusely. She smiled warmly, saying it was her pleasure.

“This is a big step you’re making in coming to me, and discussing all this. You should be very proud of yourself your majesty. I have one last task for you, however.”

“What’s that?” Sombra asked, curious.

“Doing something like this takes a lot of courage, even the smallest step should be celebrated. To reinforce the positivity, I ask you find a way to reward yourself with every step made. And if things don’t go to plan, don’t ruminate on what went wrong, think about how you can make it go right next time. Talk it over with somepony if you need to, never feel like you’re alone. Many of my patients keep records or journals, to help them get their worry on paper. You should investigate and see what techniques are best for you.”

Sombra nodded, amazed at how much there was to her words. He'd never considered such things before. He felt as if more paths had opened up to him now, he felt...freer.

“I think, in time, we can help you live an optimal life, your majesty.” she said. Sombra bowed his head in gratitude, and bid her farewell before climbing into the carriage. The driver shut the book he'd been absorbed in, and drove back to the palace.

Lavender smiled as she shut the door. She'd been surprised when Cadance had asked she keep her day free, all costs paid, for the Umbrum King to drop by. But she understood now, what the Princess had been saying. Sombra's situation was an unusual one, and required specialist handling.

“Good luck, your majesty.” she murmured as she trotted into her office to finish her notes.

As an afterthought, she wrote some instructions and mailed them to the palace so Sombra would have something to follow if he felt lost.

Discord was idly messing with the dishes, washing them then trying to juggle them when Sombra's letter arrived. The poofing sound of a scroll arriving made him turn and drop the plates. They bounced comically around the room like rubber balls, one even hitting him in the stomach and flooring him as he shot over to the floating scroll. Ducking the plate barrage until it finally ran out of energy, he grabbed the elusive scroll.

As the last plate escaped the confines of the kitchen and bounced upstairs, he unrolled it.

“Ah, Sombra.” he grinned as he recognised the writing “what've you exploded or picked a fight with this time, eh?”

He read the letter, and then re-read it.

Then he nodded and snapped his fingers, teleporting out.

“Sombra-” he declared grandly as he appeared in the King's room.

“AHH-!” Sombra fell off the bed mid-dismount with a loud yelp, followed by a POMF.

“Sorry.” Discord winced, snapping his fingers and setting him back, upright, on the bed.

“Please, give me more warning than that!” Sombra wheezed.

“Why, were you doing something nau-” Discord began, only for Sombra to jab his muzzle with one hoof. The Kings face was flushed, and Discord admitted to himself it was kinda fun teasing the somewhat easily flustered monarch. Sombra had some adorably uptight sensibilities at times..

“You finish that sentence, and the guard will be extracting you from the back of the couch.” Sombra warned with a glower “what is it with you and the innuendo?”

“Cant help, it's fun!” Discord shrugged “and hay, anything is an innuendo if you think about it hard enough!”

Sombra face-hoofed, groaning.

“Sorry, sorry! I’ll stop, I promise, so as to preserve your innocent little mind, your majesty~” the Draconequus teased, scratching behind Sombra's right ear. Sombra met his eyes and snickered. In truth, he knew a few dirty jokes and whatnot, but no way was he on the same level as Discord, who made it look like second nature. Sombra usually had to think before the rude facet of whatever they were discussing came to mind. Discord's mind went there right off the bat!

“Anyway, my silly Sombra. What I came to discuss was your letter.” Discord set himself on the bed opposite the Alicorn “you sure you're ready to do something like this?”

“Yes, I am,” Sombra smiled “I spoke with a therapist today, at great length. It seems my sleepwalking is connected to my fear of the caves. I've forced myself to go in out of necessity, but I haven’t done it to, well...”

“Help yourself?” Discord guessed. Sombra nodded.

“Exactly.”

“Well, if you need my help stopping you knocking yourself unconscious, count me in!”

“...You’ve been talking to Corona haven’t you?” Sombra dead-panned.

“Yes,” Discord admitted “he was the one who told me you were in your room. He may have said knock first but I wasn’t listening.”

“Surprise surprise.” Sombra joked.

“...What?” Discord feigned being deaf, and Sombra fixed him with a stern glower. They had a stare down for several seconds, before Sombra started twitching and they both cracked up laughing.

“Ahh...hah ha..” Sombra took a deep breath “you never fail to make any composure I have flee the scene, my friend.”

“Lord of chaos, master of the humour. In my mind anyway.” he grinned at the stallion “You’re a success, so I’m gonna roll with the title!”

Sombra chuckled. He felt infinitely better after a good laugh…

“So, when are we going to do this thing?” Discord asked, indicating the letter.

“I figured as soon as possible. I want help work in the caves at least once before the work on it is done.”

“Right, then.” Discord nodded “I'll go with you back to the site, and we can stick you in a cave and have it go right~”

Sombra nodded.

“Then it's settled. Now, go sleep, when are you going back?”

“Day after tomorrow.” Sombra informed him “I have some things to pick up, shipments to order, and spending some time with the Umbrum's. That and interrogate a Centaur with Corona.”

“Who?” Discord asked, then elaborated “I mean, who are you interrogating?"

Sombra explained what the whole thing with Morloc was.

Discord nodded, he could see why Sombra wanted answers, this was a pretty big thing. He said he'd see him in the morning and teleported out.

Sombra curled up under the bed-covers, feeling relief surge through him. Hopefully this would help him stop sleepwalking…

The next morning, after Sombra spoke of his trip to Lavender, Corona asked was he ready to talk to the Centaur? Sombra nodded, but secretly, he felt a bit ill.

They were led down to the cells, and several guards who'd met Sombra when he'd been there before bowed their heads respectfully as he walked past. Sombra greeted them kindly, seeing many faces he knew.

They were left alone outside the room where the cell was.

“Are you ready, sire?” Corona asked. Sombra nodded, although he looked a bit pale. Corona opened the door and allowed the King to go ahead before closing the door behind the two of them as he followed suit.

Morloc looked up, and when he seen the stallion standing on the other side of the bars, he panicked, backing away as far as he could.

“P-please, don’t kill me!” he begged.

“I am not here to,” Sombra said coldly. Corona drifted up alongside him, giving Morloc a cold, silent look. “I just want answers.”

“H-he was going to kill me! I fobbed him off with that story about you! I didn’t think he was smart enough-”

“You knew who Scorpan was,” Corona interjected “you met him, the King and Queen knew you well. No way you couldn’t have known he was very smart, and most dangerously, VERY driven.”

Morloc looked up at them, seeing the distrust in Corona's eyes and the barely repressed anger in the pony King's.

“What are you..?” he gulped. He'd heard the word “Umbrum” floating around, but it couldn’t be, they were long gone…

“Umbrum ad Infinitum,” Sombra said coldly “we are shadow crystals. You guess right, they and I are connected. I am their King, created to guide them.”

“Infinite Shadow King,” Morloc babbled, staring at him in scared awe “even MY knowledge of you was scarce when I foolishly handed it over.”

“It has been a long long time since they walked this plane. Much of it was spent slumbering in stone.” Sombra said bluntly.

“That doesn’t answer his majesty. Why did you let Scorpan have that knowledge? There is no doubt that you knew spells with which to defend yourself, I seen your collection of books!” Corona said.

“I didn’t want to die!” Morloc pleaded to Sombra again “I’m old, and getting weaker. I didn’t think I could go up against him. He was unhinged, mad even, you know what that’s like-urk!”

For Corona had reached through the bars and grabbed him by the collar of his cloak.

“Don’t you DARE speak that way to his majesty!” The Gargoyle hissed “you have no right. He has worked to escape what he was, unlike Scorpan! Unlike you...”

Morloc nodded, and the Centaur drifted back to beside his King.

Sombra still didn’t speak, and Morloc began babbling again. Why wouldn't he speak?! What punishment was he planning?

“I couldn’t have stopped him, he was crazy! Missed that fool brother of his so much-” he shook his head “I thought it would keep him occupied. But the more time passed, the more afraid I became that he'd come back and kill me, if my information proved useless. I seen him prowling around. So I ran, and I've been running ever since, keeping low. Until that spell escaped and I was forced to come here.”

Sombra closed his eyes, waging an internal war. On the one hoof, his fury at this creature was bubbling away like acid. But yet…

Desperate to get his attention now, Morloc stretched an arm between the bars, grabbing the front of Sombra's fancy new cloak. The King pulled away sharply, wings bristling in annoyance.

“Unhand me!” he snarled.

“Please! I didn’t know this would happen, it was a shot in the dark he got it right-”

“The fact remains he did, and caused his majesty untold suffering!” Corona barked.

“I know I have no right to ask your forgiveness after what Scorpan did to you,” Morloc sighed heavily “it was never my intention. I said it to save my own hide, never thought what could happen were he to work it out. I heard he'd been caught, the papers mentioned a crystal Alicorn, I assumed they spoke of that Princess of this empire, so I ignored it.”

Sombra sighed softly.

Scared and confused, the Centaur bowed as low as he could before the pony who would no doubt have the final say on his fate. And he did the last thing he could, he begged to be spared.

“Please, your majesty-”

Sombra cut him off;

“Doubt it not, there is much of me that wishes to see you attain the punishment you deserve. But no, I will not kill you.”

Morloc stared in shock.

“Nor will I lock you up in MY jurisdiction. While I could hate your mere existence for everything I have endured, there is one deciding factor.”

He stepped back, wings raised to their fullest. “I was able to give my ponies the new lease of life they longed for. I was given a second chance. Forgiven by those that had every right to bay for my blood, my execution, if you will. I may have nearly lost my mind and all hope when I was tortured by that madman, BUT, I gained more than I could have dreamed afterwards. It hurt, getting this far, but I will not allow my desire for vengeance taint what has become a dream come true for me and my kind. My own torment taught me to be mindful of others, of what I did. Close to fading after fighting Scorpan, I realised I wanted to change who I was.”

“What are you going to do?” Morloc shivered as he caught the King's eye.

The stallion took a deep breath, sharp red eyes fixed on the cowering Centaur. What he was about to say seemed to take all his strength, but he forged ahead;

“I'm going to what those in this very Empire did for me. I'm going to forgive you, end it here.”

“Sire?” Corona blinked. Had he just-?

“It may seem crazy, Captain.” Sombra smiled knowingly at the Gargoyle “but I committed as great a crime in my time, forget not. The crystal ponies did not have to forgive me, nor embrace my presence here. But they did. They showed compassion to a pony who was a MONSTER. Turning and inflicting punishment according to my old self's beliefs would spit in the face of all that. So, I wont do it.”

Morloc's mouth opened and shut, he couldn’t speak.

“Believe me when I say this; even being forgiven isn’t easy. You will have to come to terms with it, accept it for yourself. Even forgive yourself should you in time reach such a point.”

Corona was floored. Sombra really did have a grasp on his world that he hadn’t seen in many a year. He could see why King Vorak had been willing to trust Equestrians again, after meeting this pony. His own mistakes had taught him valuable lessons, and now he was teaching another in turn.

“Y-your Majesty...” Morloc finally spoke “I don’t understand..”

“You will, given time.” Sombra said “I want you to walk the same path I did. You can wallow in pity and worthlessness, or you can get up and make something better of yourself. Make something from your past into something for the future. Its the hardest task, but you want forgiveness? That's the way to get it. I was fortunate to learn this.”

Morloc nodded, the King was right. It was the easy way out for him, begging for mercy and expecting punishment. This way, he couldn't run away, he would have to face punishment from himself, not this powerful pony. Unless…

He looked at Corona, realised HE still had warrants out for his arrest on behalf of King Vorak. But Corona was watching King Sombra, and seemed to be contemplating something. He asked if he could speak to the monarch alone, and Sombra agreed. They stepped outside, leaving a stunned Morloc to continue processing the King's words.

They returned some minutes later, but it'd felt like an eternity to the Centaur.

“I have spoken with his majesty, and he has agreed to my plan. I intend to ask King Vorak to place your punishment in his Majesty’s hooves. He above most knows what it is like to claw your way back up from the worst times. That is why I believe his method will work. I knew you when I was a child, you even taught me magic. I know there is still potential for you to make something worthwhile of yourself. And it seems you could do no better than King Sombra.”

Morloc broke down then. He'd never expected such mercy from either of them, let alone BOTH!

The two waited patiently until he could compose himself. He bowed once more, repeatedly thanking them both, he didn’t know what else to say-

“As I said before, this wont be easy.” Sombra said “but I think it can be done.”

“And if that is his majesty's judgement, I’m all in.” Corona backed up.

Morloc vowed he would, if King Vorak granted it, serve under the Umbrum King as his servant.

Sombra called for food and water for the shaken prisoner, and told him he would be held here until Vorak's judgement was known. If his rehabilitation was passed into his hooves, he would be brought to the site. Morloc nodded, wondering what this site was?

He was left to eat and think it through as Corona and Sombra left.

“Tell me Captain, do you think I have taken leave of my senses?” Sombra asked, smiling faintly.

“No, sire!” Corona said explicitly “I was just...surprised. After everything he caused you..?”

“In a way, it was indirect. He set it in motion to save his own hide. All of us are guilty of such thoughts when in danger. Yes, it was reckless, he should have known what would happen were Scorpan to succeed, but; we are not psychic. Common sense can carry us so far, but we cannot predict will or won't occur past a certain point.

As I said, while the torture nearly shattered me for good, I was given a new life by so many ponies. Taught not to fear myself again, and shown what good I could accomplish. I know its not easy, there are many out there that distrust me still. But now, I know I can prove them wrong, it is well within my ability.”

“You have my utmost respect, sire.” Corona said bluntly. The King smiled genuinely, the warmth behind the gesture clear.

“It cheers me greatly to hear such a thing. Thank you, captain. My experiences to date have both tormented me, yet schooled me in a way I never expected. It wasn’t easy, but I’m getting there.”

“The Umbrum's have a fine future ahead of them.” Corona stated honestly, he really believed it…

Sombra, Corona and Discord left the Empire a day later, with supplies in tow. Discord could see the nerves written all over his friends face. Sombra had been staring down his reflection in the window for so long it was obvious he wasn’t fully there. It took him a good 30 seconds to notice Discord pulling faces behind him, they were honestly getting pretty creative by that point!

He also noticed Corona, silently busting a gut laughing in the other seat.

“Quit fussing, it'll be fine!” Discord flicked his friends ear in response to Sombra's weary look. Sombra gave him a funny look for the ear flick, but seemed to relax a smidge regardless.

The new ponies that'd joined the site, namely the zebra's and the towns-ponies, all greeted the familiar sight of the chaos being as he drifted alongside the King. Sombra made sure the supplies for the new ponies, which included educational things for the kids and extra bedsheets etc., were distributed to them, then he and Discord went to see Girder.

Sombra explained what he needed to Girder, and the foreman could see how awkward it was for the ruler to ask such a thing. He was asking the cave work be suspended for one 24 hour period.

“This is on a doctor's orders?” Girder asked. Sombra nodded.

“She is a specialist, deals with sleepwalking, PTSD, various cases like mine.” Sombra said softly. Girder nodded.

“Well I’m glad to hear you’ve found a way to help with that, the guards have been worrying about your late night wanderings. They didn’t want to bring it up to you in case it was a sore subject for you.”

“It will be, if I cant stop this before I give myself an injury!” Sombra joked weakly. Girder smiled faintly, but nodded.

“Very well, your majesty. Will you be requiring any guards with you?”

“Nope, that’s what I’m here for~” Discord said leisurely “he'll be fine!”

Girder had heard enough from Sombra to know the King trusted this Draconequus more than any other in his second chance at life. So he agreed to the Kings request, saying he'd have the place empty and ready for them by afternoon time.

“Good luck, your majesty.” He said kindly as the King made to go “I have a feeling you'll be alright.”

“Thank you.” Sombra said genuinely as he and Discord left.

From there, Sombra said he was returning to his shift work. Discord followed along out of curiosity.

He watched as Sombra tied back his mane, put his boots and goggle son, then dove right into helping cement a wall. Seeing the ponies all ferrying the bricks back and forth in little loads, he snapped his fingers and the bricks began bringing themselves TO the ponies. They were startled at first, but Discord waved at them and indicated himself. Seeing he wanted to help, the foreman put him and the King together, so while Discord set the bricks, the monarch put them in place with the grout and cement.

Discord being Discord, this didn’t last long before urges to cause mischief arose. The bricks, controlled by Discord’s crazy magic, began goofing about when the chaos lord noticed the ponies weren’t paying attention. A pony made of bricks galloped around the site for a good minute or two before the foreman noticed, and shouted at them all to get back to work.

When said foreman sat down in the overseers raised chair seconds later, there was a loud, drawn-out fart sound. Total silence followed, interrupted by, as the foreman held up a whoopee cushion;

“Discord!”

That was King Sombra.

“How do you know it was me?” the Draconequus objected. Sombra face-hoofed, then reached a hoof up and indicated Discord’s backpack, out of which stuck a spare cushion. Now the chaos Lord face-palmed.

“Blast! So much for hiding in plain sight!” Discord harrumphed.

Somepony giggled and before the rest could help themselves, a full scale laughter outbreak began. The foreman sighed, shaking his head and glaring at Discord.

Discord hastily got back to work, but inside; it was worth it! Moments later, he couldn’t help notice Sombra was ducking his head a little longer then was needed. Unless he was interrogating the tray of grout at his hooves, there was no reason for him to be so still.

Discord lifted his friends mane, catching a glimpse of barely suppressed amusement in the pony's eyes.

“Go ahead and laugh,” he teased “You’re NEVER too old to enjoy a good fart joke! Not even 1000+ years is an excuse-”

“Pfft...” Sombra started laughing softly right as he said this, and those nearby watched the amused King with curiosity. He had a funny, almost reserved manner at times, yet when he let his guard drop, he swore like a veteran.

Sombra nudged Discord with one wing, and the duo settled back to work. As time approached for Sombra to go to the cave, Discord could see his body growing tenser, and he seemed to be spacing out. About 15 minutes before, Sombra excused himself when he thought Discord wasn’t looking and disappeared.

Naturally, his friend found him not long after. He was sitting on a bench outside the bathroom, looking at a list Lavender had sent to him. Could he do this-?

“Were you sick?” Discord asked as he approached. Sombra nodded, sighing. He put the paper away in his saddlebag as Discord held it out to him.

“You’re thinking about it too much, relax!” Discord snapped his fingers and the familiar sight of a glass of chocolate milk appeared in his hand. This he gave to Sombra and sat with him while he drank it. After that, it was time to head over to the cave. Sombra wrapped his cloak tightly around him, like a comfort against the gnawing worry.

Needless to say, the workers had been slightly puzzled when they were told operations were being halted, but it meant they had a day off, so they weren’t arguing! None of them knew about the Kings request, or what was going on.

To distract him as they walked, Discord detailed his recent visits to Fluttershy. How Angel was being a little troublemaker as always, how many new animals she was fostering and caring for and so on...

“I hope I can see Ponyville soon,” Sombra said as they approached the cave “there are quite a few residents from there working on the teams. They are very fond of their home-town.”

“You'll love it, very quaint and charming!” Discord said airily, then asked “Wasn’t that pony you rescued from Ponyville?”

Sombra nodded. That was Alan Key, who had become a good friend to him, he and several others had been teaching Sombra to play Hoofball in the evenings, using the sites floodlights so they could see.

Sombra came to an automatic halt as soon as the cave appeared ahead of them. He swallowed a wave of unease, and tried to do what Lavender had recommended, and breathe.

Hearing the pony’s frantic wheeze, Discord scratched behind his left ear, which seemed to help.

“Take it easy.” the Draconequus said calmly “don’t explode on me, I just bathed!”

Sombra recalled Discord making this same joke all the back at the start of his recovery, and felt the claws of panic lessen a little. He smiled.

“Remember how grumpy you were? The face you made when I brought you to the tower. Oh, if looks could kill-” Discord teased good naturedly. Sombra gave him a sarcastic look, but the way his lips curved into a smile gave away his amusement.

“I was like a feral creature back then, so confused and crazy I didn’t know what to do..” Sombra shook his head slightly to clear it “seems like a distant memory now.”

“And that’s all it is, get it?” Discord said sternly, moving his friends attention away from it. Sombra nodded, focusing on what was in front of him now. The cave…

Discord dropped down to walk on all fours, not something Sombra seen him do very often.

“Come on!” The Draconequus chimed, looping an arm around Sombra's neck and steering him forward. He could feel how tense the King was, as Sombra tried to dig his hooves in. With a grin, he had an idea~

He removed his arm from the pony's neck, and instead wrapped his tail around Sombra's midsection, taking off ahead with him. Snow hit Sombra's eyes and he shut them, making an annoyed grunt.

“Discord!! Put me down!” as he always did when threatened, Sombra began yelling quite loudly. And squirming.

“Nope!” Discord said cheerfully, reminding Sombra of all the times Discord had done this to stop him escaping back in the early days. So in accordance with those days, he gave his friend a little zap, which he knew would make the Draconequus laugh. Sure enough, he was dropped onto the ground a second later with an “oof.”

“I win.” he griped, but still refused to open his eyes.

He heard Discord chuckle, and his temper spiked. His eyes opened, fixing their gaze on their snickering target.

“Why would you do that?!” he snapped, getting up and glaring at his friend. Discord just looked amused. Sombra began pacing back and forth, mind racing full pelt. Why would Discord force him to go against what he KNEW he wanted. How could he?

He caught sight of the smug, smirking Draconequus again and lost it “will you stop grinning at me like that!”

“Only..” the chaos lord said slowly “if you take a look at your surroundings.”

“What are you-?” Sombra cut off, realising only now where they were. They were standing in the main section of the cave. It was well lit, bright lights attached to generators dotted around the place. In those short few seconds Discord had covered the whole distance of the passageway and flown them into the central cave. He was at its very HEART. Panic gripped him amidst the anger, and he darted his gaze this way and that. He was in a Cave. A CAVE-

“No no no...” he gasped.

A single splash of water landed on his upraised muzzle as he glanced at the ceiling. He let out a high pitched, terrified yelp and back-pedalled, desperate to get away. He snagged a hoof on the back of his cloak and thus fell over backwards with a thud that knocked the wind out of his sails.

Discord tried, he truly did. But that was just too much. He let out a loud snort of laughter before he could stop himself, and it was swiftly followed by more loud giggles.

Sombra lay there, blinking up at the ceiling, as he heard his best friend laugh his odd little ass off. Discord's amused giggles bounced around the cave like a horde of bouncy balls, unstoppable.

A funny urge was building inside the bewildered pony. Did he want to get angry? Accuse his friend of betraying him? Run as far from this horror as possible?

No. He wasn’t twitching from barely concealed fury.

He wanted to laugh.

His whole body was shaking with suppressed laughter, LONG withheld. This was so ludicrous it was beyond the pale. He was screaming at a drop of water for Celestia's sake! What was his life becoming?

He started softly at first, then his laughter grew louder as it mixed with his friends. The sound echoed around the vast cave, bouncing back to laugh with him.

There was an odd pain in his chest too, he noticed. Like a farewell. The cave had been but a factor in his torment, albeit a big one. But the fact remained that the real culprit had been Scorpan. Wherever he could been held, he would have been scared. He would’ve been rescued too, he knew it. Because the world wasn’t as bad as he'd tried to make it out to be all that time ago. There was always hope.

Discord grinned as he heard Sombra laugh, he'd done it. As the King's laughter died down, his efforts to take a deep breath punctuated by the occasional stray giggle, Discord walked over to him. He sat next to him as Sombra rolled onto his stomach and patted his back.

“Feel better?” the chaos being asked casually. Sombra looked up at him, the look in his eyes bright and, to Discord's relief, HAPPIER.

Still incapable of speech, the Alicorn nodded, a brief snigger escaping his confines. Discord chuckled at how red faced the pony was. At last the stallion groaned weakly and spoke.

“My sides...” Sombra coughed “ow. I'm blaming you for that.”

“Feel free, I won after all~”

“What do you mean?” Sombra asked.

“You laughed, that means I’m off the hook!” Discord declared smugly. “Them's the rules!”

“Of course!” Sombra said satirically “and when I get to power, I’ll make a law saying if YOU can pull a dumb prank and make me laugh, I wont clobber you!”

“Ooh! That would be delightful!” Discord cackled gleefully, drumming his fingers together. Sombra face-hoofed.

“I'm doomed.” he joked. He sat up at last, taking a deep breath.

“See? Not so bad is it?” Discord said calmly, indicating the cave.

Calmer now, Sombra admitted that while he still felt a little bit of trepidation, this wasn’t so bad.

“This is just the start!” Discord said “you and me, we're going exploring.” With a snap, he was suddenly wearing a Daring Do-style outfit. Sombra stared at his friend, then himself, for what else adorned him, but the same getup. It was rather comfy actually..

“All set!” Discord grinned.

Sombra nodded uneasily and glanced around him. He could see the bit where he and Alan Key had escaped, the cave in slowly being cleared. He walked over to it now, recalling the heavy thud of rocks. He shuddered.

“What was it?” Discord asked.

“This where Key and I fled from the ceiling as it collapsed. He was hurt, I was carrying him on my back. We got clear just in time. If he hadn’t known it was caving in, we could’ve been in serious trouble.”

“You saved the both of you with his help, not a bad thing, eh?”

“No, you’re right. It WAS the most terror I had felt in some time, but...we got out.”

“What made you go into the cave?”

“You know this story already. I sent you that letter.” Sombra was puzzled.

Discord held up a sheet of paper with Lavender’s writing on it. Sombra did a double take, how had he gotten that out of his saddlebags without the pony noticing?

“Many fingers make light work~” Discord waggled them at him “now, stop sidestepping. It's important you talk.”

Sombra, again floored by how easily Discord anticipated him, merely nodded. Seriously, how did he-?

“The answer is a book. With pictures and curse words. Now, go on..” Discord said smugly.

Sombra chuckled softly, turning back to the corridor he'd once fled down, as rocks bounced off the ground behind him.

“He had gone missing earlier that day. A smaller collapse had happened after he was knocked out, trapping him there. Girder gathered everypony for the search, but we were low on flares. So I agreed to stay behind and monitor the ones I had created myself. They reported back using a set of scrolls. I remember somepony saying they’d heard a voice but found...nothing.”

He stared into the distance, recalling his feelings at the time “I thought about how that bird found me all that ago. Through a crack in the cave wall. Had he not investigated and flown to Fluttershy, I don’t think I would be here.”

“Neither would most of Equestria.” Discord remarked as he thought about that day. Sombra nodded.

“So I decided to read back and see if I could determine where it had been located. It was near this very cave. That was when I realised it could be the same as what happened to me. The cave had to be rechecked! I headed out there, but the wind tore the scroll from my hooves. I was on my own.”

He sat down heaving a sigh before “I knew I couldn’t just abandon him, imagine if all of you hadn’t come for me. I'd be dead, or a pawn. He didn’t deserve to meet that fate. The way the storm was getting, and the fact it was growing darker with every minute, I was his only hope. So I forced myself to go in here, and it wasn’t long before I found where he was trapped. I got him out and we high-tailed it back to the others.”

“What happened after?” Discord asked.

“I wandered away from the doctor, wanted to give him some room. I went outside, drifted about in a daze until the flashbacks became too much and I fled, regrettably being sick again.”

His stomach ached in sympathy and he rubbed it with one hoof, wincing slightly. A few deep breathes later and it went away.

“And that's that.” he finished, looking at Discord.

“After that came the wraith, right?” Discord asked. He was munching from a box of popcorn, expression curious. Sombra nodded, watching as a cluster of kernels floated over to him. He scarfed them out of the air before continuing.

“Yes, such a strange and twisted creature it was. So desperate to wreak havoc it would pit an innocent pony against his friends. It wanted me to destroy it in order to stop it, so I obliged.”

“See, you showed that thing who's boss! You used your worst memories to destroy that things hold, that’s quite an accomplishment, wouldn’t you say so?”

Sombra blinked, he hadn't considered it that way. He always focused on what’d gone WRONG, not what had gone RIGHT. Maybe he'd made more progress then he'd credited himself. He heard a party popper go off, and strands of confetti drifted down onto his nose. He sneezed and shook his head.

“Hay, she said to celebrate the little things!” Discord again consulted the paper he'd pilfered from Sombra's bag. The King chuckled, more glad than ever he'd brought Discord along with him. In his usual fashion, he'd pulled the safety mat from under Sombra's hooves, made him see what he was trying so hard to avoid. Truths about himself, his mind..

Feeling bolder, he got up and walked to the spot where, on his first attempt to deal with his fear, he'd barely lasted a minute before he legged it and run outside. Unbidden, he described the whole thing, how a clanging noise had made him flee for the hills. Or a big shrub outside anyway. Then had come the Timberwolf fight, where he'd broken his wing.

Another bunch of glitter followed in the stories wake, and he chuckled.

“Hey, it was a first step!” Discord said cheerily. “Like Flutters always says; “baby steps, everypony. Baby steps.” And you made quite a few!”

Sombra couldn’t help but agree there.

Discord's stomach gurgled, and he raised an eyebrow at Sombra “well, I’d say its about time for dinner! Cant argue with your stomach. I tried, it always wins.”

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers and opened a portal. He reached in and pulled some covered plates of food through from it.

“Already told the cook to leave it to one side.” he replied in response to Sombra's startled look.

Sure enough, Sombra heard a voice go “what the-? Oh, right.” as the portal closed.

He found he was pretty starving himself, and the both of them made short work of the food and dessert. To Sombra's delight, it was made using the crystal berries imported from the Empire.

“Mmmh, thish ish good!” Discord voiced the exact same thought as Sombra, as he swallowed the last bite “could eat that all day!”

“Princess Cadance did say berry exports are one of their biggest. I think I’ll be adding to it once this place is built, I want no shortage of these!” Sombra declared as he decided to be very un-Kingly and lick the plate.

“There's my little monarch!” Discord teased with a grin “already planning your trade agreements.”

Sombra gave him an exasperated look, and Discord cracked up again. But it made him smile regardless. As much as Discord liked to tease, he had a point. These were things Sombra, in his worry to get things right, often forgot.

The Draconequus let out a huge belch, and when he looked at Sombra, he seen the King wore an “oh really?” look on his face.

“Sombra…?” he asked, curiously. But Sombra merely held up a hoof for silence, cleared his throat, and actually out-did Discord's entry.

“Sweet Celestia on a pogo stick!” Discord stared, eyebrows raising high. High enough that they began trying to drift away altogether. “Get back there!” he grumbled, grabbing them from the air and slapping them back on his face.

Sombra watched this and sniggered, yet couldn’t help looking smug himself.

“You win this round, silly Sombra.” Discord admitted at last “but you just wait!”

Sombra's response was a wide grin.

Part of Sombra's plan was to spend the entire night in there. Admittedly, he wasn’t looking forward to it. It would mean being in the total, utter DARK.

Dinner over with, he and Discord ended up discussing the future kingdom, and what plans Sombra had for the inevitable coronation.

Sombra had already decided to ask miss Rarity to design the outfit. She was one of the best designers in Canterlot according to the ponies at that magazine he'd done the shoot for. Pinkie Pie = the party's planner, no contest. In fact, he planned to ask all that’d helped him to not only attend but have their input. They deserved it for all they’d helped him with.

“What about your palace? That needs to be made first!” Discord queried “you cant live in those barracks forever!”

“I don't know..hm, a moment please.” Sombra cocked his head to one side, and began creating a shape out of his magic crystal, the one he'd used to fix that float at the parade. It changed shape several times, before settling on something. It had a very symmetrical look, shining in the bright lights. At its top was a flat roofed tower, which Sombra explained would give him an unfettered look at the stars.

“Pretty sweet,” Discord approved. “Lots of room for your new life!”

“I can name places after those that got me here,” Sombra decided, “I can already bet Princess Twilight would like a library!”

“No question!” Discord rolled his eyes.

“What about you?” Sombra asked.

“Me?” Discord couldn’t lie, he was surprised. But he was also secretly thrilled Sombra had asked him..

“Yes, you.” Sombra chuckled “It goes without saying I wouldn’t be how I am now without you constantly dragging me outside my comfort zone and shoving the truth in my face, dancing and singing all the while!”

Discord looked proud at that description “at your service!” he declared, grinning as he raised an eyebrow. Which promptly ran off with a zoom.

“Hay!” he declared.

Sombra clapped his hooves together, catching the stray eyebrow as it whizzed by him, and bringing it back to its owner.

“Thank you!” Discord took the thing and jabbed it back onto his face. It was now pointing at an angle that made him look stupidly cross. Sombra burst out laughing.

“What? Little more to the left, right?” Discord played along, making the King laugh even harder.

He moved both eyebrows to his nose declaring “Moustache?”

More laughter and the King just shook his head, face flushed from amusement.

“OK, OK, I think I have it!” Discord shepherded them back into place “now, to answer your question...”

Sombra reigned in the laughter, his sides were aching.

“I think it goes without saying it would have to be a joke shop!”

“It’ll be the finest in Equestria.” Sombra promised “I owe you that much.”

A happy grin from Discord was the reward, along with the chaos lord messing the pony's mane again. Then watching in fascination as it settled into place in a second. For some reason the Alicorn couldn’t fathom, this seemed to provide endless amusement for Discord.

Sombra wrote down various things he wanted to remember for the future. As he did, Discord studied the tiny model palace Sombra had created. He could just imagine the real thing, rising above everything else in a grand empire. He observed Sombra now, how excited he looked as he rapidly jotted down plans for this empire of his.

Sombra surprised himself by not feeling an instant surge of dread as the lights went out, leaving the two of them in a dark cave.

Well, except for somehow Discord's eyes were glowing in the dark.

“Seriously, how-?” Sombra could only shake his head.

“I'm the universe's blind spot, best not to think about it too much.”

“Duly noted!” Sombra chuckled, letting his head rest on the pillow. He yawned “if I sleepwalk, for the love of Celestia don’t let me do anything dumb..”

“Will do!”

As he eyelids grew heavier, Sombra tried to puzzle that one out.

“Will let me do something dumb, or..” Sombra trailed off mid sentence. Looking over at him, Discord noticed he'd fallen fast asleep.

“Guess he was more tired then he let on!” the Draconequus chuckled “you always were bad at lying, silly Sombra.”

He gave a loud yawn himself and settle into a light doze. He'd set spells to wake him if Sombra DID get up and wander off whilst still asleep.

Sombra yawned as bright light hit his closed eyes. Groaning, he opened them slowly, seeing Discord fiddling with a light that he'd placed directly over where Sombra was lying.

“Wakey wakey!” he grinned widely.

“Mhrghrgh?” Sombra asked.

“Not sure what that means, but the kitchen left pancakes, and coffee!” Discord held up two plates. Sombra's stomach guided him to sitting position and he held the plate in his hooves as he ate.

“Did..” the pony swallowed the last of the pancakes and drained the last of his coffee “did your spells go off?”

“Nope, you slept right through.” Discord informed him.

Sombra set his plate and cup down, eyes wide in surprise “you mean-?”

“Yeah, you didn't go anywhere you silly pony!” Discord sat back and grinned “and to think you were worried!”

“Well,” Sombra coughed “I didn’t think I would be able to rest so well in...in here!” he gestured around him.

“You passed out tired mid sentence.” Discord informed him “Even when I got up to go to the bathroom you were sprawled out, snoring away.”

“What in-I do not snore!!” Sombra objected loudly “I’d have woken the barracks up if I did!”

“OK, fine, you don’t snore. But you do sleep sprawled all over the shop.” Discord giggled, flinging his limbs out in a mock-approximation of it “you remind me of a cat.”

“Shut up!” Sombra grumbled, glowering at him. But he couldn’t help but focus on the fact he'd made it through the night. In a CAVE. He felt a surge of happiness, this was something he'd never believed he could do.

Seeing the realisation dawning, Discord released the biggest of the party poppers he'd been hiding. Sombra smiled happily. He looked relieved too.

“Do you think you’ll be able to work in here?” Discord asked.

Sombra nodded, still looking a little bit nervous though.

“Really?” Discord prodded “because I’m not convinced.”

Sombra's expression became resolute.

“Its under control, I know it.” he said, this time with a conviction he believed in.

“There you go!” Discord clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him onto his face.

They packed up, cleaned up any mess from the confetti and their food, and left. As they were going, Discord spotted the forgotten mini model palace. Checking to see if Sombra was distracted, he stashed it in his bag and followed his friend.

Stepping outside, Sombra looked back at the cave. His wings remained folded placidly to his sides. The events of the previous day had shed a new light on what had once terrified him. His trauma and recovery weren’t complete, not by a long shot yet, but this was a big step towards that goal. He certainly felt like a big weight had been lifted!

They walked back to the site, just in time to meet Girder at his office.

“How did it go?” girder asked. Sombra looked pretty content, a far cry from how he'd looked after being in a cave last time.

“Better than I thought,” Sombra recalled the laughter and pranks, and chuckled “FAR better.”

Girder caught Discord's eye, and the Draconequus gave a grin.

“Great to hear that, your majesty! Do you want to start your shift now?”

Sombra nodded.

They headed outside, Girder going on ahead to see one of the junior foremen. Discord and Sombra came to a halt by the barracks.

“Where are you heading now?” Sombra asked.

“To Ponyville, its tea with Flutter's day!” the Draconequus said eagerly.

“Give her my regards, I hope she’s doing well!”

“Will do!” Discord scratched behind Sombra's ear, adding “you did great, by the way. Make sure you remember that.”

Sombra nodded. Discord gave him Lavenders list back, and then, with his customary farewell bear-hug, the Draconequus vanished.

It wasn't until later when Sombra unpacked his saddlebags, that he noticed Discords notes. He'd written down everything Sombra had done, below Lavenders list and even signed it.

--Thanks, my friend..-- Sombra smiled and set it pride of place on the screen surrounding his sleeping area.

The day after that, Girder approached Sombra with a very special task…

The Overseer didn’t glance up from his clipboard as he heard a cart approaching. Why would it be anything strange?

“Ah good, just in time-”

“Where should I place these?” the voice from the carts hauler made the Overseer do a double take. He stared.

It was Sombra.

SOMBRA.

A pony who refused to set hoof in caves due to the torture inflicted upon him by his captor. At least that was what he'd been told. Yet he was standing there in front of him now, looking almost freakishly composed.

“Sire..?” the Overseer blinked.

“Hay, your majesty!”

Sombra turned as he seen a familiar pony trot up. It was the same stallion that'd come to find him after the first cave incident, who'd explained it so understandingly to the others.

“Good morning!” Sombra greeted him.

“How's it going?” the stallion asked, gesturing subtly at the cave around him. Sombra nodded back.

“Very well, as it happens.”

“W-well,” the Overseer cleared his throat “good to see you, your majesty. Could you bring that over to Ball-peen? He's over there, specific hammer cutie mark.” he gestured across the cave. Sombra nodded.

More heads turned as he trotted leisurely across the vast cave. No longer did he feel the rock pressing down on him, he could breathe far more easily. He did feel a little nervous, but he just reminded himself of the progress he'd made with Discords help.

Ball-peen did a double take too, but quickly recovered. He showed Sombra where he wanted the materials dropped, and the bigger stallion soon had them neatly in place.

Sombra trotted out of the cave, to get the cart back to the site. Before he exited, he told the Overseer that Girder was placing him with the cave group for the morning. Then he was gone.

There was a stunned silence as the King left.

“Did I miss somethin'?” one Manehatten pony piped up “wasn’t he scared witless cos of caves? Some bad things went down in one, I heard!”

“Yeah, he was a prisoner,” another pony nodded “I seen him the first time he walked in here, he looked about to vomit! Think he did in fact...”

“Well he doesn’t seem so scared now!” the same pony that'd defended Sombra's panicked exit before spoke up again now “somehow, he beat it.”

“If that’s true, I’m impressed...” the Overseer mused “wish I could have the same luck with heights!” he shuddered “remind me to ask who his doctor was when he gets back!”

Sombra returned and settled into working alongside the other pony's. Some noticed he did jump when a loud clanging erupted across the cave from him. His wings fluffed up almost protectively, rising just a little and he went a few shades paler. But he calmed down quite quickly, settling his wings down and returning to his task.

When the lunch bell chimed, Sombra headed for the lunch hall, stomach growling. He felt a little light headed and dizzy. He had been a BIT unnerved by the cave. More than a bit maybe. The clanking sounds had made him jump, but he'd just told himself that it was over now and reminded himself of Discord's advice. The sound of his own laughter echoing around the cave…

The cave no longer seemed threatening now. It was a weird sensation, being so deep inside such solid, cold rock, but he could relax and work without his stomach making threats to disgorge its contents in objection. In time, maybe he could forget about it altogether, trust his wings to stay settled all on their own…

The realisation he'd just passed the next step made him feel dizzy, a mix of shock and elation. Thus, some of the ponies sitting with him at lunch noticed not only that he wasn’t eating, but that he seemed a little jittery.

“You feelin' OK yer honor?” the same Manehatten pony who'd been working with him earlier spoke up now.

“I'm fine,” Sombra managed a smile, telling himself to snap out of it. His stomach gurgled, and he looked at his food. He should probably eat it, shouldn’t he?

Several ponies exchanged concerned looks. They hadn’t seen Sombra most of yesterday, he hadn’t slept in the barracks. Where had he been? At the doctors again?

The Manehatten pony deduced it had to do with Sombra's sudden cave fearlessness.

“Take it easy, ya know?” he said, catching the spacey Kings eye. “Forget about it, ya catch my drift?”

Sombra got the feeling this pony understood.

“It was both easier and harder than I expected..” he mused, staring absently into the distance. He shook his head again, before finally making a start on his lunch.

The ponies heaved a sigh of relief. Whatever that other stallion had said, it'd worked. He'd put his majesty’s mind at ease over something that’d clearly been troubling him.

Lunch over with, Sombra returned to his regular work, out in the fresh air.

Girder stopped by the cave to speak to the Overseer about Sombra's progress.

“Not playing tricks here boss, but you sure its a good idea to let him in here? What if he's just sitting on his panic the whole time. Aint healthy..”

Girder shook his head “I can assure you his majesty is not battening down any feelings at all, quite the opposite in fact. He has taken measures to deal with the issue, as it bothered him that it was impacting his work.”

“Measures...” the Overseer put two and two together “wait, is that why we got the day off? So his majesty-?”

“Could come here on his own grounds? Yes,” Girder nodded his confirmation “On a doctors orders, he spent a significant amount of time here to settle his feelings on the subject.”

“Sweet Celestia, that cant have been easy. I heard about what happened after he came in here the last two times. I figured he'd wanna stay away for good.”

“I don’t think he feels he can lead an entire empire with it hanging over him. Keep an eye on him in future, but give him space to put himself at ease if he gets startled.” Girder said finally.

“Roger that.”

“Isn’t that your cousin?”

Later that day, Sombra dropped by Aeris' place, and she picked up on the change in him.

“There is something gone, something you no longer fear. Tell me your majesty, is freedom near?”

“It is not far now,” Sombra smiled warmly, watching the kids, Zebra and Pony, playing in the centre of the room “it's such a relief.”

He discussed it with her, saying that was why he'd been so jumpy during his time in the Zebra's cave. She congratulated him on doing what he had and like Discord, she seen Sombra give a truly happy smile.

Throughout the times he'd been visiting, Sombra noticed many of them had begun calling him “your majesty”. He openly insisted that, since he wasn’t their ruler by any stretch, they didn’t need to worry about it. But Aeris shook her head, insisting it was by choice. He'd rescued them, and offered his home to them. This was HIS kingdom, even if it wasn’t fully built yet. Sombra was touched by their actions, and nodded, accepting this.

Fern came pelting over to greet him, and he spent an hour talking to and entertaining the kids before heading for the dining hall.

Girder collapsed into his chair with a groan. Another long day over with.

“Ah, you’re here. Good.” a voice spoke from nowhere. Girder shrieked, sitting bolt upright. His eyes fixed on that oddball creature, Discord.

“Are you looking for his majesty?” he asked.

“No, this is a secret. Sombra doesn’t need to know yet~” the chaos Lord grinned.

“Why..?” Girder was suspicious. This guy WAS a trickster after all, but yet it was highly unlikely he'd turn on the King. So what was he up to?

Discord grinned again, and whipped something from his bag. It was a model of a palace. He set it on the table.

“This is a prototype Sombra created when we were in the cave. I'm hoping you can, you know...flesh it out a bit more. He said he was happy enough with it looking this exact shape, it just needs details..”

“I see...” Girder studied it, nodding as he turned it this way and that “it's very majestic.”

“Perfect for a King~!” Discord said brightly “but you know that silly Sombra, he wont raise the issue. He still keeps putting everyone and everything above his own needs. I admire his determination to get things right, but he does go a bit OTT, doesn’t he?”

“Indeed he does, I’ve said as much,” Girder agreed.

“Anywhoo, I’d like this to be a surprise!” Discord announced.

“Bit difficult there,” Girder fixed him with a weary look “we can't exactly build an entire palace of that scope without his majesty noticing.”

“True, Sombra can be absent minded, but not in that department.” Discord tapped his chin with one finger, brow furrowed. Then he grinned and snapped his fingers. A light-bulb appeared above his head with a ding as he declared “I got it!”

“Got what?” Girder bleated, lost by this point. He stared as the Draconequus plucked the light-bulb from the air and put it away in his bag. How this guy managed to bend reality the way he did was baffling.

Discord outlined the plan with Girder, who couldn't help agree it was a solid idea. The fact it had to be done at night was a little odd, but not unmanageable.

“I don’t see why not. It would probably encourage his majesty to remember he is, no matter how much he forgets, still royalty here. He's got to adjust at some point.”

“Then its settled!” Discord grinned “I can build the skeleton of the place, all you guys gotta do is build around it.”

“We'll dig the foundations here..” Girder indicated where they were going to put it.

“Perfect, right at the heart.” Discord approved.

“Next problem is keeping it a secret from his majesty, care to have a light bulb moment for that?” Girder asked as he set his pencil down.

Discord frowned, twirling his goatee around his finger as he thought. It came loose with a pop and he looked alarmed, before casually sticking it back on.

“Happens sometimes.” he said absently. Girder shook his head...what, just….what??

Then Discord’s eyes settled on a form to one side of Girder. On it was written an address, ending in Ponyville.

“Tada~” he sang, snapping his fingers. He explained that he would cart Sombra away to Ponyville for a few days, they could dig the foundations then, as they’d have to be kept hidden as much as possible. Then, the night after Sombra had returned, he'd help build the framework.

“It’ll be the perfect surprise! With my chaos magic, it wont be all that hard, I can put it together in a jiffy. After that, all we have to do is stick it together. Marvellous!” Discord rubbed his hands together, cackling with glee. Seeing Girder giving him an amused look, he coughed and settled down “I mean, he wont guess such a thing will he?”

“I doubt it.” Girder said with a chuckle.

Discord bid him farewell once they'd ironed all the kinks out with regards to getting Sombra off site…

The next day, Discord sent a letter to Sombra asking would he come to Ponyville with him for Angel Bunny’s party? Fluttershy would SO like him to come. Plus, he'd finally get to meet the Ponyville ponies.

Sombra checked with Girder, who was happy to let him go for a few days. With that sorted, Sombra also asked around site, to see if any Ponyville residents had mail to be delivered. He explained he could bring it there for them? He'd be travelling using Discord's chaos dimension, so it would save on costs and time. He ended up with a sizeable backpack to bring with him as he waited for his friend.

“Goodness me, were only going for three days!” Discord remarked when he seen the big pack plus Sombra's own case.

“Ah, well, this isn’t mine. It is mail for Ponyville.”

“OK, King mail-pony.” Discord rolled his eyes, and opened a portal “lets move!”

Corona and Sombra's aides bid the King farewell, with the former promising he'd keep any eye on things!

Sombra had crafted a new food bowl for Angel using his special crystal, and the cook had picked some delicious crystal berries and fruits to put in it.

“Ponyville looks so tranquil, from what I’ve seen in the photos the girls gave me.” Sombra smiled.

“Oh yes, its very peaceful. Bit too peaceful for my liking..” Discord shrugged.

“Not enough chaos?” Sombra chuckled.

“You know me too well~” the Draconequus said grandly. Sombra shook his head at his friends irrepressible attitude, then he seen the end of the tunnel approaching. They were nearly there…

“I assume we're arriving on the outskirts,,” he began as they stepped into the light leading out “I don’t want to cause a fuss-”

“WELCOME!”

Sombra's wings shot up in an instant, going full POMF, as he took a surprised step back, bumping into Discord who was right behind him. Eyes wide, the pony blinked away the last dots of light, seeing that far from being on the outskirts, they were standing in front of what looked to be a town hall. Surrounded by ponies. There was even a huge banner declaring “Welcome King Sombra.”

“Yeah, about that...” Discord drawled.

Sombra said something in his native language.

“Ah, you love me really.” Discord joked, tweaking his ear. Sombra chuckled.

“You’re lucky I cannot get mad at you for anything less then ending the world.” Sombra laughed, seeing a beige coloured mare with grey mane step up to him now and bow.

“I apologise for startling you, your highness. I assumed you'd been informed by your friend. Did he not mention this?”

“Did he heck..” Sombra grumbled. “Discord can be such a goof-”

“I can? Excellent!” Discord whooped. Sombra shook his head in despair. Unfazed, the mare continued;

“I'm Mayor Mare, head of Ponyville. It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. We've only ever seen you in the magazines!”

“The pleasure is mine, Madam Mayor. I have long wanted to see this place. Ever since the young Princess and friends described it to me. It is even more beautiful than the pictures show.”

Mayor Mare looked pleased at the compliment “we hope you'll enjoy your time here. There is to be s street party later, we hope you will join us as its guest of honour?”

“I would like nothing better.” Sombra assured her.

“Now, you have some very eager friends here to greet you-”

As she spoke, a pink blur shot over and tackle hugged Sombra, knocking him over in an instant. He landed in a tangle of wings, cloak and pink mane. The surrounding ponies chuckled at this response, seeing the hyperactive Pinkie Pie take down the bigger pony by sheer hug power alone!

“Hello...Pinkie Pie..” Sombra wheezed. She let him up, grinning ear to ear.

The others approached, laughing at Pinkie Pie's inability to restrain herself.

“Classy as ever!” Applejack grinned up at Sombra. He was delighted to see them all, asking how they’d been?

They talked awhile, before Fluttershy timidly reminded them it was almost time for angels party. Sombra assured the gathering crowd he'd see them later.

“Oh, that reminds me!” He took off the big backpack “this is all the mail and packages from the site. Since I was taking an expedient method of transport, I thought it wise to bring this here personally. Do you have a mail pony?”

“Right here mister!” a grey pony with yellow mane and eyes that were at odds with each other flew over, holding out a hoof. Sombra shook it, saying he was pleased to meet her.

“I'm Derpy Hooves!” she said happily. She was a bright, cheery little mare. Sombra could see how she almost radiated kindness and affection.

“Hay Derpy!” Rainbow Dash waved.

“Hay Dash!” Derpy beamed, waving eagerly. She gathered up the big backpack, and said goodbye before flying away towards her place of work.

From there they made their way to Fluttershy's cottage. Sombra got to the meet the fabled Angel bunny at long last. The bunny looked understandably startled when he seen such a big pony, but seemed to take to Sombra quite quickly. He was certainly delighted with the ornate food bowl, and insisted on eating his birthday meal from it!

Sombra had never seen this much wildlife before, and soon found himself being used as a perch for some colourful birds. He laughed when a large parrot sat on Discord's left horn, and tried to gnaw it.

“Tickles-” Discord snorted, trying not to fidget, to Fluttershy's amusement.

After the party was over, and Angel was down for his nap. Sombra was given a tour of the respective girls homes. First was Applejack's farm.

“Goodness,” Sombra remarked as he looked around “its huge!”

“Eyup! One of tha biggest around!” Applejack said proudly. Granny Smith and AJ's two siblings came out of the barn, and Granny stared at Sombra in shock.

“Goodness me, yer HUGE!” she declared, and Applebloom giggled.

Sombra turned to greet them, giving a polite bow as Applejack introduced them.

“This is Granny Smith, she runs tha farm. This is mah little sister Applebloom, and this is Big Macintosh, our brother!”

“Hello.” the quiet Big Mac said. He'd gotten used to being the tallest stallion around, but even he had to look slightly up to meet the King's eye.

“Hoowee, lookit these!” Granny was examining one of Sombra's wings, lifting it with one hoof, tilting it this way and that.

“Granny! I'm pretty sure that’s rude!” Applejack coughed.

But Sombra just chuckled, he didn’t mind. He unfurled the wings and Applebloom stared, eyes wide.

“Whoa, Scootaloo will explode when she sees these!”

“Good grief, you're all feathers sonny!” Granny remarked.

“Eyup.” Big Mac added.

They showed him round the farm, to all the different orchards and where the fruit-bats resided in their little sanctuary. Applejack asked would he like to try apple bucking? Curious, Sombra agreed.

Applejack showed how how to stand, hunker down just slightly…

Sombra gauged the strength of the tree, and gave it a hefty kick with his back hooves. Apples bounced down the tree in an avalanche, leading Applebloom to chase after them.

“Too much?” Sombra asked, looking at the apple ponies. All were staring at him in silence.

“That was almost tha whole dang TREE!” Applebloom wheezed as she returned with apples piled in a small basket atop her back.

“Sure we cant hire him?” Granny asked. Applejack shook her head, smiling.

“Drat. You, Applejack and Big mac, you'd be a force to be reckoned with!”

“I don’t mind the work if you need-” Sombra began.

“Don’t worry Sombra,” Applejack chuckled “were not going to use you as a workhorse, you can relax.”

“Darn.” Granny huffed, but she was grinning, and Sombra decided he liked this elderly pony.

From the farm to Rarity's boutique. Sweetie Belle did a double take and whistled when she seen how shiny his coat was.

“It's like a gem!” she declared.

“It's a super tough crystal, Sweetie Belle. Makes him very resilient in a fight.” Rarity explained.

“Do you get many of those?” Sweetie asked. So Sombra told the story of the wraith, and Sweetie winced.

“That’s so creepy!” she shuddered.

“They’re an old menace, there are a few scattered legends about them. Thankfully they don’t exist in very many places nowadays.” Sombra assured her.

Next, he met Pinkie Pie's fellow bakers, the Cakes and their kids. Pound and Pumpkin spent a great deal of time clambering up his tail and treating the big pony like a cosy bed. Their little hooves tickled and Sombra kept wanting to laugh.

Then it was up to the clouds to see Rainbow's home and meet some pegasi. Many did double takes when they seen him, and Scootaloo met what she called the biggest set of wings with a pony attached she'd ever seen!

Last but not least was Twilight's castle, where he'd be staying! She showed him the main rooms of the castle, but good grief the place was big...

That evening was the street party, and Sombra soon found he had no shortage of ponies wanting to ask a question or two. Some wanted to know how he'd patched things up with the Crystal Empire, others about the new Umbrum empire and most wanted to know about the Umbrum's themselves. Sombra answered their questions as best he could, giving demonstrations of his magic.

As he was heading towards the refreshment table, he recalled he wanted to ask Rainbow Dash a question and turned on a hoof to intercept her as she whizzed by off to one side. In the process of turning, he bumped into a young mare that'd been approaching him. She yelped and fell over with a squeak of surprise!

“Sorry miss!” he caught her before she hit the pavement and made sure she could stand steady before letting go “are you alright?”

“Oh, Yes! I-I’m fine!” she stammered nervously as she glanced about, and Sombra realised she'd dropped something. She followed his gaze and hurriedly snatched it up. It was a copy of the magazine Sombra had done the interview for. The picture of him staring so thoughtfully into the distance had been decided as the best cover shot. Glamour had insisted it showed him off best, and he hadn’t argued. Just shrugged in bewilderment.

“I was hoping...uh,” she coughed, turning slightly red at having made such a bumbling introduction. But he'd already spotted the magazine so she decided to go for broke “would you sign this for me?”

Sombra was surprised. He hadn’t been asked THAT before. But he didn’t see why not. It seemed it would make the young lady happy, so he pulled a pen from his bag and drew an elegant looping signature on the magazine.

“Thank you!” she grinned “my friends are gonna be so jealous~”

“I see,” Sombra chuckled. Seeing his confusion she elaborated.

“I've been following all the papers. I think its really cool what you’re trying to build. My brother is working at your site. His name's Alan-”

“Alan Key, by any chance?” Sombra asked curiously, describing the stallion.

Her face brightened “you know him?”

“I do indeed, he's a friend of mine. He and others have been teaching he how to play hoofball!”

“Yeah, he's a sports geek!” She giggled. She put the magazine away, a faint blush on her cheeks as she thanked him then trotted away into the crowds.

--That was interesting..-- Sombra mused, as he resumed his search for rainbow.

The three days in Ponyville passed in a blur, he got to spend time with all the girls, trying out making cake with Pinkie Pie, more apple picking with AJ and her family, and Rarity showed him how best to fix his cloak when he tore it. Next, Rainbow Dash showed him how to steer clouds and break them up too. He and Twilight Sparkle spent some time in her library selecting new books for him to read and Fluttershy taught him to look after injured animals.

He even met with the Zebra Twilight had talked about, Zecora. He told her about Aeris and her clan, and the Zebra was glad to hear of a pony warming to zebras so rapidly like Twilight had. Sombra told her she was always welcome in the empire once it was built, and she promised she would visit it someday.

He was sad to leave, and thanked the Mayor for the welcome party, saying he'd love to come back again! He made a note to open a trade link of some kind with Ponyville, he'd enjoyed his time there very much indeed.

Discord hugged Fluttershy one last time before opening the portal. He and Sombra waved farewell to the ponies before disappearing into it.

“That was wonderful..” Sombra sighed happily as they walked along. He was towing a big box of gifts and souvenirs along with him…

“See, told you you'd like it!” Discord grinned. He seemed to be excited about something, although he wouldn't let slip even the slightest hint to Sombra. Just kept giggling to himself and ignoring how many times Sombra nudged him with his muzzle or wings.

They arrived back on site in no time, where they were met by Girder and Corona, followed by Sombra's two aides.

Sombra noticed Discord disappear on and off through the day, but figured he was off pranking somepony, somewhere…

That night, while Sombra was fast asleep. Discord met with Girder and the others according to their plan, and they set the last part of their plan in motion.

“Wakey wakey!” Sombra opened one eye and squinted sleepily. Discord's grinning face was just inches from his.

“Discord..?” he mumbled “S'too early..”

“Up up!” Discord pretty much towed him to his hooves, ignoring the pony’s complaints, and by the time Sombra finished yawning, he was somehow already wearing his cloak and goggles.

“Discord?” he asked “what is going on?”

“This way~!” Discord towed him out of the barracks, creeping past the rows of slumbering ponies. When they got outside, Discord suddenly covered Sombra's eyes with a blindfold.

“Ah, what?!” Sombra blurted, stumbling about blindly.

“It's a surprise, trust me, OK?” Discord pleaded. “I know you cant see it, but I’m doing my best puppy dog face...”

Sombra heaved a sigh, but agreed. Thus he let himself be led down the paths between the buildings, wondering what Discord had planned that had him so eager. Hopefully it wasn’t explosive, whatever it was.

At last they came to a halt, Sombra could tell there were other ponies around him.

“Discord- what’s going on?” he asked “even by your standards this makes no sense! Not something I thought I’d ever say...”

“Alright Sombra,” Discord chuckled at his fidgety friend “the waits almost over. We all made something special for you. Think of it as something to look forward to after all your hard work!”

He whipped the blindfold off, declaring “voilà!”

Sombra blinked as the bright early morning light blinded him, then it came into focus. In front of him was a HUGE structure. One he was sure had not been there yesterday. It was a skeleton frame of a very familiar building.

“The palace..” he said softly. Discord clapped his hands in delight.

“Exactly! I “borrowed” that model you made in the cave, and brought it to Girder!”

Sombra stared at the structure, mind whirling.

Girder grinned at the stunned King “Surprise! What do you think, your majesty?”

It took Sombra several seconds before he could get his brain in order and speak.

“It's wonderful!” Sombra craned his neck back, taking in the enormous building frame in front of him. Excitement began to grow inside, and the ponies noticed him fidget like a child being ordered to sit still and be patient, but failing to do so. A second later all attempts at restrain were tossed regally aside;

Sombra darted forward, bounding from room to room like a foal on Hearthswarming day, wings giving an excited flap. He came to a halt at the centre of the frame, gazing up at the very top, high above him. It was massive, but stunning.

He looked over at Discord and Girder “It is exactly as I imagined it!” He looked so happy all those watching felt proud they’d gotten it so right!

“Score!” Discord grinned.

“How did you get this set up so fast?” Sombra asked breathlessly, trotting back to the assembled group, looking at the ponies and Draconequus gathered around him.

“That would be this guy!” Girder gestured to Discord “he did most of it!”

“Yeah, he held it in place, we bolted it down so to speak!” one of the workers put in. Sombra looked at Discord, who looked about to burst with pride, complete with barely constrained high pitched squeeing noise. What did Sombra think of his work? The pony smiled happily up at him as he spoke;

“This is amazing, you really do know me better then any. I couldn’t wish for a better home.” he said sincerely “thank you, my friend.”

Discord glomped him in a massive bear hug, and Sombra laughed happily, patting his back with one hoof. His mane was ruffled as he was let go, followed by the usual merry giggling as said mane neatened itself almost instantly.

“We'll be assembling this alongside the other homes, your majesty. We'll have your home ready as soon possible! You deserve a home of your own, and this will truly be a palace fit for a King!” Girder promised.

Sombra was overjoyed with their present, and thanked them all very happily. They cheered and celebrated, he liked it! They’d been working late into the night to get it set up so Discord could surprise the monarch.

As the morning bell rang, more and more workers came out and spotted the thing that hadn’t been there before.

“Whoa...what is it?” Corona whistled.

“Looks like a palace to me, chief!” one of his men pointed out. Corona grinned.

“That’s pretty impressive, cant wait to see it finished. Didn’t think his majesty was ever going to get started with that.”

Months passed, and as they did, the more the palace grew. Sombra watched as, month by month, it gradually morphed into the visions he'd made out of a small crystal.

He noticed extra shifts were forming to work on it, and Girder mentioned many wished to see him have his home ready, he deserved it.

King Vorak was happy to place Morloc's rehabilitation in Sombra's hooves. He trusted the Alicorn to do what he thought best. Thus, the older Centaur came to live at the site. He taught Sombra about the history of magic in their Kingdom, and gradually began to learn to work alongside the ponies. Aeris talked to his often, she could see his regret and offered to help him do some good. So he came to work with the Zebra's as well, mixing potions alongside Timber and Aeris.

In this time, Sombra put in the promised overtime and his Umbrum's accommodation was built at last. They were overjoyed when Sombra came to pick up the first lot. They were granted full solid bodies, courtesy of Umbra and Sombra's magic combined.

During this, Sombra had returned to the Empire several times, to pursue his therapy with Lavender. She was very pleased to hear about his success with the cave. His sleepwalking had finally stopped too, to the relief of his guards and the site foremen.

The more ponies joined the site, the faster it began to grow. Individual houses sprang up like weeds, and soon the refugee ponies and the Umbrum's were able to choose residences for themselves. As was wont to happen, many met partners and there were more than a few weddings as construction progressed. Being the highest authority on the site, Sombra was asked to help preside over many of them. He had to write to Celestia, to ask what she had to do for the wedding of Cadance and Shining..

Almost a year had passed, but at long last the Umbrum's city was ready, and Sombra could hardly wait for his friends to come stay. They were all coming for the coronation after all!

As promised, he asked Pinkie Pie to plan the party after. Rarity happily made a coronation wardrobe for him, and the others all pitched in to bring their own touch to it!

Thus, three months after everything was built and the ponies lives were just starting in their newly built homes, the official crowning of their precious King was finally due.

Sombra had had all the various royals drop by for visits in the weeks preceding the coronations official announced date, where he unveiled what he'd named after who. Naturally, Twilight was thrilled with having her name on an entire library!

At last the big day arrived. Sombra paced back and forth as Rarity, without even seeming bothered, was able to place the fancy cloak on the fidgety pony. He stood still long enough to put the shoes on, then resumed pacing.

“Don’t fret darling,” Rarity assured him “it'll be fine!”

“I know,” Sombra chuckled “I've already technically taken the job, but this just sort of...hits home, as it were.”

“Makes it feel more real?” Rarity asked. Sombra nodded.

“Twilight was the same, where do you think I learnt to dress a moving pony?” the unicorn giggled softly. “Now, relax. This is the best day of your life, be excited!”

Sombra smiled, nodding as she left to go get dressed herself.

“Hay, looking swanky!” he turned at THAT voice.

“Discord,” he smiled “wonderfully made, isn’t it? Miss Rarity has really outdone herself!”

The cloak had a neck plate style clasp in a style a bit like Celestia's. A high necked cloak with thick fur edging trailed along the floor behind him. It was a pale purple, with a crystallised pattern. The shoes were made of semi-transparent crystal, in a matching shade.

“You look the part!” Discord declared “you should see the size of the crowd out there..”

“I can imagine,” Sombra took a deep breath. As she-who-oversaw-everything, Celestia of course was doing the honours. Her sister, Cadance, Shining Armor and Twilight would all be arranged behind her, by the door leading to the balcony, along with the 5 other colourful mares and Sombra's mother, Umbra.

Discord distracted Sombra a moment by scratching under his chin, soft spot number 2 on the Umbrum King. (1 being his ears of course).

Then there came a knock on the door. Sombra near jumped out of his shoes as Corona stuck his head round the door. He was wearing his fanciest dress uniform for the occasion, as he and Discord were escorting the antsy royal to his destiny. The King and Queen of the Gargoyle/Centaur kingdom were in attendance of course, so they’d brought the required outfits with them.

“Time to go, your majesty!” Corona said, and seen the royal go a bit pale.

“Don’t worry, it'll be fine.”

“I know, it just feels like I’m losing something at the same time I’m gaining it.” Sombra blurted sadly.

“How do you mean?” Corona asked, drifting over to him.

“Well,” Sombra smiled sadly “this last year or so, I have made many friends and acquaintances working on this place. Building it alongside them. I learnt to play hoof-ball...”

“We know, you made it a national sport!” Discord chuckled.

“But now, what with living in the palace and my official coronation...I feel like I’m losing the friends I made. There's going to be a pretty big divide now..”

“There doesn’t have to be, your majesty.” Corona spoke honestly “there's no law saying you cant play in the hoof-ball matches if you so wish. Or go out drinking with your friends. Sure, it might not be as often with your royal duties, but its not going to suddenly cut short!”

“He's right!” Discord patted Corona's floofy mane, and the Gargoyle jabbed him in the side in revenge, making him snigger.

“Your friends, if they're true friends, wont go off and forget about you!” The Draconequus added. Fluttershy had taught him this after all. “And hay, you’ll always have me!”

“You’re doomed.” Corona joked, so Discord flicked his ear as the Gargoyle began laughing. Those two, Sombra decided, shared some very similar personality traits. Smartassery for one!

They turned back to the King as they heard him chuckle.

“Thank you, both of you. Lets go...” he said at last.

Sombra took a deep breath and stepped outside, flanked by his two friends. Even Discord was dressed up for the occasion, and it was pretty tasteful. The novelty clown shoes were a bit odd, however, but Sombra happily allowed it.

His nerves only grew as he traversed the seemingly endless hallway towards the main room that was host to this event. Spells being cast in the main room by a team of unicorns would allow the event to be broadcast via a magical screen of enormous proportions that was set up outside the palace.

Every guard that stood either side of the hallway bowed reverently to their King. The two at the doors opened it just as a swell of music poured out. Sombra's ears twitched, recognising the historical piece his mother had taught the musicians. This was real…

His wings, which were unfolded to full for the occasion, gave a little shiver and fluffed up a bit. The fact they were so closely linked to his moods was still a mystery. Nopony had been able to explain it thus far.

Row after row of ponies turned to look over at the door, and a deafening cheer echoed around the massive room. At its far end, Sombra seen Celestia, dressed in her finest dress, waiting for him. The other royals all nodded or winked at him, which made him feel a bit better. Next to Celestia, on a cushion being held aloft by Luna's magic, was the crown. It'd been polished and re-set so it looked its absolute best. It'd also been restyled a bit, for it now curved in front of his ears, a bit like his old crown had. Sombra found it to be oddly comfortable, one piece of nostalgia he DIDN'T mind keeping! Difference was, this crown allowed his ears to still poke up out of his mane.

He dismissed these thoughts and took the first step into the room, aware of his two friends either side and the guards falling into step behind him. They came to a halt at the front of the raised area, and Discord scratched swiftly behind the King's ear one more time before he and Corona moved to stand with the others. In the front row, Sombra seen Vorak and Haydon. The King gave him a reassuring nod, and the Queen smiled warmly.

Celestia stepped forward, smiling warmly. He flashed back to how kind she'd been since the girls had brought him to her castle in Canterlot. The effort she'd put in to making a former monster feel safe and sound.

“Welcome, everypony! We are gathered here today to honour a momentous occasion, celebrating not only a long awaited revival of a species of ponykind once thought lost to the ages, but welcoming their leader home..” Celestia smiled out at the crowds.

Pinkie Pie grinned at Sombra, crossing her eyes until Rarity nudged her in the side. He smiled softly before returning his gaze to Celestia.

“What he has accomplished since returning is a marvel. From a painful past, tested in flames of fiercest battle and gentlest mercy, has arisen a phoenix unlike any other. Many would have faltered at the start of the path he has undertaken, but I am proud to say I have watched it unfold. He was faced with the choice of saving himself, or giving his sincerest message to Cadance and Shining Armor. It takes enormous courage to not only own up to your mistakes, but to put your heart into fixing bonds once shattered. From a myth, to a dream, to reality; the Umbrum King has returned home!”

Loud cheering met this sentence, and Celestia nodded to her sister. As she spoke, Luna lifted the crown from the cushion, and floated it over to Sombra. As he bowed his head so she could set it up atop it, Celestia spoke once more;

“Filly’s and gentle-colts, it is my great pride today, for the first time in official capacity, to present to you the Umbrum ad Infinitum, King Sombra!”

As Sombra raised his head, feeling the jolt of excitement that accompanied the crown resting atop his head, the Princess in front of him bowed. As did the others. They smiled happily at him as they straightened up, and Pinkie gave a happy bounce.

“Awesome!” Rainbow blurted, and Sombra caught her eye and smiled.

During the mass celebration, a portal wobbled into existence just behind one of the biggest drapes. A grey mare with all-black eyes and starry grey fog-like mane poked her head around the drape, and caught sight of Sombra. Seeing the wings, she let out a low whistle. She wore a silver chest plate with a red cape, and dainty silver shoes. On her head was perched a crescent-themed crown. She studied this smiling, regal version of the King.

“Not my one, though.” She whispered, popping back into the portal, whereupon it snapped shut. The drape settled back into place with nary a sound.

All of this went unnoticed, in the noise and pomp of the occasion. Sombra met Celestia's eye as he moved to stand beside her, and she gave him a congratulatory wink. He bowed then to the crowds of ponies before him, and more cheering met his ears. Opening his eyes, he seen how many different types of ponies made up the crowd. Excel and other proud-to-bursting Umbrum's (Firefly waving madly), Crystal Ponies including Golden Glitter and her colt-friend and many ponies from Canterlot like Fancy Pants and Fleur. Many a Ponyville resident was there too. Every type of pony he'd grown to know…

It felt like the cheering and celebrating could literally raise the roof off its pillars as he waved to his friends in the crowd. Firefly was buzzing her wings so she could take a photo of him! He felt his vision blur as tears of happiness and acceptance welled up. He'd longed for a moment like this all his life, and it was coming true!

“Go on,” Celestia whispered “say something. They’re all here for YOU.”

He nodded, and as the cheering died down and many teary eyes had been wiped, he spoke.

“If somepony had told me that someday my life would lead to this day, I don’t think I’d have believed them. Growing up, I didn’t have any faith in myself, I became mired in the belief I was a mistake. All seemed lost when my mind finally caved to the onslaught and I became a tyrant. That was where things ended for me, or so it seemed. To be woken again was a shock, especially in light of the circumstances. I was scared, deeply so, when I first encountered Celestia again. I didn’t understand the simplest of gestures, how a touch could be anything but painful. But she showed me kindness beyond anything I’d ever had...”

He closed his eyes, the tears that had been waiting to fall needing barely the slightest brush of eyelashes to patter to the carpet as he got his breath back. He opened them again, speaking to everypony in the room, and to himself in a way.

“Without her, without ALL of the ponies and Draconequus behind me now, I wouldn’t be able to stand here before you. When I found out what I really was, who I was destined to be, I didn’t understand. I felt like an intruder in my own skin, and I tried to deter the Umbrum's from choosing me as their King, believing I couldn’t do them justice. But they refused to discard what they seen in me. It is thanks to the unrelenting support of not just my ponies-” he looked over his shoulder at the ponies watching behind him “but my friends and family too, that I’m here today! This Kingdom is here thanks to the support of so many ponies, zebra's, gargoyles and centaurs.”

He looked back at the crowd, seeing many crying happily as they listened. “Those at the work-site taught me what it meant to properly connect with ponies, and how safe I could truly feel. I learnt how to show those who would not hear me out, what I could really do. I even gained a student, a young pony who has grown in talent so fast.”

In the crowd, a very happy Crossfire blushed and grinned at his sister. She was wearing a dress patterned with feathers, like the ones the King had given her.

Sombra wrapped up his speech at last “I have been given a second chance and I intend to do it right. Seeing all of my Umbrum's free and living the lives they’ve waited so long for makes everything worthwhile. I hope you will be able to look to me whenever you should need anything. The reason I’m here? Is all of YOU.”

Excel practically flew out of her seat, so loud and happy was her cheering. Around her neck was a necklace bearing a crystal. At the start, Sombra had given it to her, and imbued it with the same oath spell Celestia had placed on the ceremonial neck-plate she'd given HIM back at the start. As Excel was seen as their leader, he'd given it to her, but the oath was for every single pony of his race.

It read her heart now, seeing she was content he had become what he'd promised. The crowd cooed in curiosity as the gem glowed, a spark of light flying up from it to alight on Sombra's crown. It sunk into it, the glow fading away. The crown seemed to have an extra shine to it now.

“The spell!” Sombra said softly as he wiped a hoof at his eyes. In a repeat of many occurrences before, a claw brandishing a handkerchief appeared on the edge of his vision. He smiled gratefully at Discord as once more the tears were brushed away by the polka dotted fabric. Sombra seen the pattern and laughed.

“Goes with the shoes~” Discord whispered, nodding.

His friends came forward to congratulate him, and flying tackle hug him (for Pinkie). Once the pink pony let him go, his mother stepped up and hugged him tenderly.

“Well done child,” she whispered “you've become the King we need, and the one we deserve.”

“Thank you,” Sombra whispered back. Celestia beamed proudly as he turned to face her.

“That crown looks perfectly at home,” she smiled brightly “I’m very proud of you Sombra. We all are.”

The other royals nodded.

“Thank you Princess, everypony..” Sombra wasn’t sure what to say.

“Welcome to the club!” Twilight waved a hoof at her own crown and grinned. Sombra smiled back at her, happy to have such support.

“It was an honour to see this momentous occasion, King Sombra.”

The Alicorn turned to see Vorak and Haydon approaching. They bowed to each other and Haydon wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

“That was beautiful.” she took in how happy Sombra was “you've really grown into your role.”

“I am honoured you consider us such a part of your new home,” King Vorak set a hand on the stallions shoulder “here's to many years of working together, you are always welcome in our home!”

“Thank you both,” Sombra smiled in delight “I look forward to it too!”

“Balcony!” Pinkie swung by on a rope tied to Celestia-knew-what (as Sombra headed towards the door, he did see her studying the ceiling to find where it was tied).

Pinkie did a double somersault and landed on her hooves with a flourish before trotting after the others. Sombra stepped out onto the balcony, seeing how the streets were cram-packed with ponies, zebras and all the other races he'd become acquainted with, waving banners from all over Equestria.

The unicorns producing the spells followed him, showing the magnified view to those down below. They’d heard his speech, seen his closest friends embracing and congratulating the new King.

Sombra raised one crystal-shod hoof to wave to them, and many hooves waved back. There was a whoosh of air as the famous Wonderbolts shot by overhead in a dizzying formation.

“Amazing!” Sombra whispered.

“I know right?” Rainbow Dash snuck up beside him with a grin “but its not over yet, I got a special extra for you!”

She shot off at speed, whizzing up into the sky, getting fast and faster-

Boom.

A colourful sonic rainboom blasted out across the sky, making the crowds and assembled royals clap and cheer.

Sombra hoof-bumped Rainbow as she soared in for a perfect landing. Her dress and mane stuck out every which way, however, to Rarity's dismay.

He looked out at his kingdom, seeing how the light shone on crystal-coated buildings. An empire of glittering hopes and dreams, including his.

“I'm home, everypony” he whispered as his heart ached with the happiness he'd worked so hard for “I’m HOME.”

Author's Note

And there we have it folks! I feel kinda sad its ended now, but it's been great fun working on this story. I hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you for joining me for the ride!